January 6, 2021

i opened my mouth to speak out, but

i was afraid

people would lash out in anger

i would be told i was wrong

no one would listen

so i closed my mouth in silence

but the fiery words burned me from within

until i had to cry out

a whisper to speak up, to speak out

to not fear the emotions in others

they need to come out

simply pray it would lead to self-awareness

of things hurting inside hurting others

to not fear being wrong

because everyone is sometimes

only hope there would be humility

willingness to learn from another’s differences

to choose wisely when and where to speak

there is a time and place for both words and silence

but not to fear because

those who matter will always take time to listen