Words Poem by Clyde King
Words
Words are like food.
They're tasty, spicy, sweet,
hot, cold, salty, sour,
or just plain blah blah.
The ear tastes words
as the tongue tastes food,
right? Words can be
figurations or literal,
prejudiced and neutral,
emotionally biased but
never neutral. Native
Americans, it is said,
when they first meet
a stranger, look down
at the ground and listen
to the tones and modulations
of the stranger's words
first before they form an
impression of the other.
Then they look at their faces
to see if their words are
congruent with their face
and overall demeanor.
It's said this universe
began with the word.
A sound, a vibration,
a wave of undulating
energy started it all.
Such things are too
much for me to understand.
But this I do know, all words
have more than one
meaning. It's up to you
and me to see this,
to recognize it when
it occurs.
Nov.2020
Very interesting, well-written piece, Clyde. There's a lot of truth in dem dere words!
This poem has not been translated into any other language yet.
I would like to translate this poem
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5/6/2024 12:05:56 AM # 1.0.0.1119
Very true. They say the pen is mightier than the sword...it is the word which is mightier bringing peace or war the pen a mere tool. Its funny...your story of native Americans is fascinating but here is a living one. African Americans will call each other " My n igger" without offence, even a lot of pride but let another race do that and see what happens. We are strange critters galvanised by words.
Yes, I’m aware of that ambiguity in language in people of other ethnicities. It is strange that one may call a friend an offensive name and the friend would not be upset, but let a person from another race use it the same way and the other would be offended. Every tribe has its own code language and we have to respect that, not try to use it when we’re not from that group. It sounds patronising, don’t you think?