Scalded Tongue

Razor sharp it cuts through, easy

Uses unfinished thoughts like puppets

Always on the wrong side of the line

Frequently slipping, getting ahead of itself

Oops, it happened again for the 100^th time.

 Silence its worst enemy so far

Gossip its favorite ammo to date

You and I are just vessels at its mercy

Spreading among people discord and hate

as targeted words take center stage.

Breathing life into harmless words

It has poisoned minds and made hearts bleed

Leaving nothing behind but debris

The fire- will be the final hint you’ll heed

Unless the mind disarms it before it runs free

No punishment can tone it down

Earphones won’t drown out the temptation

Glued lips and a hot wax seal

May sound extreme, almost barbaric even

But what you don’t know is, the struggle is real.

Cutting it out means you lost the battle

Forcing it shut means the war rages on

Only relevant thoughts should be given a voice

Mute the ones with the power to wound

Or simply walk away, know you have that choice.

Among company where that isn’t an option

And you fear rebellion at its hands

Take a hot cup of tea; pour it on your tongue

Smile and let that sip sink in

The language of the burn it understands

For a scalded tongue will vocalize

Only what’s essential to get its message across

And will remember the sting of the burn

As Pain silences even the most formidable foes

And this tongue is no Albatross.

TeeJay Khan©