Two Poems

I am reminded of two poems by Carl Sandburg.



PRIMER LESSON

Look out how you use proud words.
When you let proud words go, it is
      not easy to call them back.
They wear long boots, hard boots; they
      walk off proud; they can't hear you
      calling—
Look out how you use proud words.









LITTLE GIRL, BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY

Little girl, be careful what you say
when you make talk with words, words—
for words are made of syllables
and syllables, child, are made of air—
and air is so thin—air is the breath of God—
air is finer than fire or mist,
finer than water or moonlight,
finer than spider-webs in the moon,
finer than water-flowers in the morning:
and words are strong, too,
stronger than rocks and steel
stronger than potatoes, corn, fish, cattle,
and soft, too, soft as little
pigeon eggs,
soft as the music of hummingbird
wings.
So, little girl, when you speak
greetings,
when you tell jokes, make
wishes or prayers,
be careful, be careless, be
careful,
be what you wish to be.


And remember, friends, these admonitions apply equally to everyone, including me.  ~DS