Words Heavy and Light
by John Herlihy
A word is light
That falls on deaf ears.
A word is heavy
That falls on healthy ears.
Weightless the word
That falls on closed ears.
Weightful the word
That falls on receptive ears.
Light the words as feathers
That float absently thru the air.
Heavy the word in strong weathers
That find entreaty in prayer.
As the hard rock of sorrow,
Lying heavy upon the chest.
Unburdens after many a tomorrow,
Lightly bearing what’s in the breast.
Words received as heavy or light;
Words as moons shining light into night.
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Copyright ©John Herlihy
Saturday 5 July June 2025
Lincoln's Gettysburg address, Kennedy's plan to go to the moon, and Martin Luther King's speech to the people's march on Washington, come to mind.
But words of fluff and flattery are the lightest and most unreliable words ever spoken.
Ron