Like a cutting knife, words can pierce the skin
they go back and forth in your mind
Oh, gloom and vengeance whisper within
urging blood to pour out of your veins
like negligence words can pierce the skin
Autumn, a flurry of browns, oranges and reds
a source for when idle and dark hours begin
Oh soft, unwilling flesh and deepening moans
with lips writhed into contumelious grin
and contempt searing in a gaze beneath mine
Like a bullet, words can pierce the skin
Photo credits: Self-Portrait – El Lissitzky
Form: The Fold
Posted for “Poems in April” @ Real Toads
Posted on Poetry Pantry @ Poets United
48 Responses
🤤OMG Sanaa this is a definite YES to the requirement for today’s prompt
Had to look up ‘contumelious’ thank you for adding to my vocabulary a new word
Much🌼love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
(and thank you for the lovely prompt)
Yes, words can definitely be destructive weapons. You had me feeling, as I read, just how painful and piercing they can be.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Rosemary ❤️
Words are so very destructive…as are thoughts, which is where I went with this today.
Thank you so much, Paul 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
What you say is so true, words can be very destructive, more than we sometimes realize. A strong and powerful write 🙂 A difficult form which you’ve definitely conquered 🙂
Thank you so much, Ellecee 😀 so good to see you ❤️
Oh those words.. so much pain they can cause. You used the form so well
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
This is so true.
🙂
A perfect fold, well creased and wonderfully worded, Sanaa! Words as weapons are possibly the most destructive.
Thank you so much, Kim 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
This is a delight…words piercing the skin..love it! Like a knife, like a bullet…….excellent, Sanaa !
Thank you so much, Vivian 😀 so glad you enjoyed it ❤️
words can be the most destructive of weapons
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Candace ❤️
Words can definitely pierce the skin & hurt deeply. I like the flow of your poem, how the first line ALMOST repeated in the final line – how it drove the point home!
Thank you so much, Mary 😀 so good to see you ❤️
Poets of all people should know the power of words.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Rommy ❤️
Happy Sunday Sanaa
much love…
Happy Sunday Gillena ☕️
Much🌹love..
So true, great analogy of words & bullets. We need more kindness! 😊
Thank you so much, Loredana 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Indeed they can. Well said.
Thank you so much, Sherry 😀 so good to see you ❤️
Your powerful words teach us that yes wounding comes from those words hard to ignore especially with that ‘contumelious’ grin
Thank you so much, Donna 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
Searing. And it can leave scars.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Colleen ❤️
Indeed, I’m pretty sure that when they say that “the pen is mightier than the sword”, they are speaking of words sharp enough to maim the one they are intended for as they destroy the one wielding them. No one is really safe around unnecessarily cutting words. Eventually, everyone touched by them will lose bits of themselves.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Magaly ❤️
Words are powerful. Well said!
Thank you so much, Ayala 🙂 so good to see you ❤️
Ouch! Well written.
ZQ
😉
Brilliant writing! ‘Like a bullet, words can pierce the skin’ – a powerful and haunting simile.
Thank you so much, Wendy 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
and contempt searing in a gaze beneath mine
Like a bullet, words can pierce the skin
In anger words can be a nasty barrage of superlatives
Hank
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Hank ❤️
contumelious grin! nice… looked it up!!!
Thank you so much, Rajani 😀 so glad you liked it ❤️
yes, words can be like weapons, as poets and politicians should know. 🙂
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Cheong ❤️
Words remain tucked inside forever – a life long encouragement or detriment.
Definitely 🙂 thanks for stopping by, Margaret ❤️