I've never liked the expression 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, But words will never hurt me." I think it undermines the power of words It's undeniable that words have an impact on people Letters strung together can sting a person's soul When they are spoken with a tongue used like a whip Words evoke passion, They inspire us, Make our blood boil, Horrify us, And yes, they can hurt us To say that words can't hurt, Is to demean all that words do Look at Marat, Martin Luther, Shakespeare, Darwin, Hobbes, Freud, Orwell, Paine And tell me words can't change the world Words are what I turn to when I have nothing left I'd rather my bones break, That would be much better, Than to lose my dignity, To have a record of voices Tell me I'm useless, I'm stupid, I'm fat, I'm never good enough Always on repeat, Always on my mind, Always ringing true Maybe I'm over analytical Maybe I care too much About things said in the past But here's to all the "I love you's" All the "I hate you's" To saying "I don't give a ****" The pen is indeed mightier than the sword Because your words Are what made me turn the blade On myself