They attack me when I sleep;
They seem to like that time best.
Maybe I am that more vulnerable
When nominally there at rest.
They attack when I am waking,
Every single part of every day.
A constant verbiage barrage
That just will not go away.
They slither through the conscious,
Inveigle insidiously in the mind
They know my fascination;
They pretend to be so kind
As I fight it and I fight it
But they know how to hook
Seditiously creeping insertions
Into my current reading book.
There's one there just now,
One I don't yet understand.
It s just no good I need to check it
Dictionary always there at hand.
Oh how I love the power of words
They can bless or cheer or curse;
Unconsidered utterances can make
A dreadful situation so much worse,
But that well chosen word,
Uttered by a loving friend
Can enfold her in my arms
To bring a delicious end.
They constantly attack me
And yet I still can't wait
To swap them with my fellows.
A relationship of love and hate?
The power of communication
Acquired in spite of evolution's odds,
Or was it more a most wondrous gift
Of benevolence from our various gods?
