Edited
.
The cutting edge,
Serrated, jagged, ragged,
Notched and pocked,
Can’t hurt as deep as
Tongues like swords
That pierce with words,
That lash like a *nine-tailed cat,
Wound right to the bone,
Gouge out the heart
And tear you apart.
.
©Denise G Allen, 24 March 2013 11:06
.
* Cat o’ nine tails – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cat_o’_nine_tails
The cat o’ nine tails, commonly shortened to the cat, is a type of multi-tailed whip that originated as an implement for severe physical punishment…
25/03/2013 at 8:08 am
another winner… I stand in awe that you continue to pound these out on a daily basis… when is the book being published… or have you not planned on that.??
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25/03/2013 at 6:06 pm
That’s enough flattery, BD, or it will go to my head, lol! 😀
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25/03/2013 at 10:52 am
Oh! How heart wrenching, Denise.
John
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25/03/2013 at 6:07 pm
Words can damage one for life, John.
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25/03/2013 at 2:05 pm
Wonderful variation on “the tongue is mightier than the sword.”
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25/03/2013 at 6:08 pm
And how true it is too, AD. 🙂
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25/03/2013 at 4:19 pm
oh dang…so true…our words have the power to give life and take it…and the wounds it gives stay open for a long time…
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25/03/2013 at 6:09 pm
But sometimes people don’t realise just how much damage they do, Brian.
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25/03/2013 at 5:15 pm
Never did go for the saying: sticks and stones may hurt my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Nothing is more painful than words that stab the heart; it is a wound that takes a long time to heal.
blessings ~ maxi
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25/03/2013 at 6:09 pm
So, so true, Maxi. xxx
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25/03/2013 at 5:44 pm
Denise,
I love this poem! If there are two ills that plague this world most commonly, they must be backbiting and gossip! There is a quote from my own religion that goes:
For the tongue is a smoldering fire, and excess of speech a deadly poison. Material fire consumeth the body, whereas the fire of the tongue devoureth both heart and soul. The force of the former lasteth but for a time, whilst the effects of the latter endureth a century.
Very well done!
john
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25/03/2013 at 6:10 pm
I love your quote, John. It is, in itself, pure poetry!
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26/03/2013 at 6:21 am
I loved the line about the nine-tailed cat..
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26/03/2013 at 6:51 am
Thanks, Jake. 😀
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27/03/2013 at 10:52 pm
You’re so right, words can cause powerful bruises on the soul.
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28/03/2013 at 4:40 am
And the hurt can be more intense than physical hurt…
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