Lee Montgomery-Hughes
Sticks and stone can break your bones
but words can never hurt you
But with ordinary words
Spoken in a certain way with certain inflections
And ... the insecurities flood straight back
Emotions escape that locked compartment
as vividly as if it were yesterday
Instant transportation to the vulnerability of youth
That frightened child, thought to have been banished
to within the safety of the subconscious mind
Humiliation, not always public
inner judgement is enough
Instantaneous shame
The dread of what’s to come
Clammy hands, nausea, thumping chest, breathe catching
Unable to do anything, unable to think
Your tongue holds no words in defence
There is just no hope of ever getting anything right
Never a need for physical punishment ...
spoken retribution is always enough
Cutting up and spitting out any shred of self-confidence
Shifting positions, highlighting ungratefulness
‘I am doing this for YOU’
‘I’m putting myself out to help YOU’
‘Not everything starts and ends with YOU’
That sinking cold reality of never being good enough
The infant desperate for love
The youngster desperate for approval
The teenager desperate for acceptance
The young adult desperate to get it right
The grown-up desperate to succeed
Then eventual understanding that words hurt deeper than any stone
And once hit by them ... they always will
Lee Montgomery-Hughes © 2017 (All Rights Reserved)