Words!
They can be so damned powerful, or they can just be a collection of letters unique only in their mundane nature.
Let me share the lyrics from a song titled “Ghosts” by the late, great songwriter Dan Fogelberg.
“Ghosts”
Sometimes, in the night I feel it
Near as my next breath
and yet, untouchable
Silently the past comes stealing
Like the taste of some forbidden sweet
Along the walls; in shadowed rafters
Moving like a thought through haunted atmospheres
Muted cries and echoed laughter
Banished dreams that never sank in sleep
Lost in love and found in reason
Questions that the mind can find no answers for
Ghostly eyes conspire treason
As they gather just outside the door…
Every ghost that calls upon us
Brings another measure in the mystery
Death is there
To keep us honest
And constantly remind us we are free
Down the ancient corridors
And through the gates of time
Run the ghosts of days
That we left behind
Unbelievable! I have listened to that song now for thirty-five years and I still get goose-bumps when I hear it because of those powerful words. The same is true of some books I’ve read. No matter how many times I read them, they still manage to fill me with awe.
Words!
How many speeches have you heard in your lifetime? I would venture to guess I’ve heard hundreds, if not one thousand, but there are only five, six, maybe seven I actually remember, and I remember those because of their unique words, their special phrasing, and yes, the way they deliver a
particular message.
Words!
I know I risk sounding corny, but I believe writers have a responsibility to deliver a message, or deliver a story, or deliver a poem, in the most powerful way possible.
There is more than enough mundane in this world.
There is more than enough half-assed boring in this world.
What we need more of is meaningful and powerful.
Just a random thought from an old man.
Bill
“Helping writers to spread their wings and fly.”
Billybuc
Artistry With Words 