Word Play

Words of Change

Does writing have the power to enact social change? It has been my experience that words can affect people more than one may think. Over the course of history, many people have changed the way people think just by talking. For example, people like Dr. Martin Luther King. King gave speeches and sermons and preached about his views, and people listened. Even some people who at first disagreed with him over time came to agree with him and see his views. Millions of people began to follow him and all he was doing was expressing his opinions and thoughts in the form of words.
In my opinion, whether positive or negative, words can change the way a person thinks. For example, one time a I was arguing with one of my friends. Now, normally when people try to insult me it doesn’t bother me. But when I was arguing that one time, one simple word really made me stop and it actually affected me. The person called me pathetic. Up to that point no one has ever called me pathetic, and it actually made me sit down and ponder whether I was pathetic or not. Because normally I don’t care what people say, but for some strange reason, that one word got to me and changed my mentality. Maybe this is how people like King were able to get to people and change them. Maybe their words were so powerful that the people listening had no choice but to open their minds to that change.
Also, I think words can enact social change based on who is speaking them. This is because you can only get certain points of view from certain people. For example, when King spoke, he talked about equal rights for all and not just African Americans. I think if he just got up and spoke about just equal rights for all black people, not as many people would support his ideas. Like if a black guy were in King’s shoes and tried to speak about rights for only black people, people in general would not like him so much, especially other races. King had followers from all races simply because he wanted rights for all and everyone felt he was fighting for them and not everyone else.
In short, in my opinion writing and words do have the power to enact social change. Whether good or bad, whether people like it or not, words can and will affect you in some way, whether big or small. Also, words will enact social change based on how they are used and how people interpret them. The person speaking or writing needs to connect with their audience in order to change their points of view to relate to theirs. This is how words can and will enact social change.

Price of a Child

My Child

I wish I didn’t have to leave him- my child.
I have to gain freedom, fight for him- my child.
I have to make this path clear for him- my child.
I have to do what I can whilst I can for him- my child.

I’m trying my hardest to succeed for him-my child.
I’m trying to make the future brighter for him-my child.
I’m trying to build a bridge to a better world for him-my child.
I’m trying with all of my might to be with him-my child.


I am almost there, with him-my child.
I can almost see the essence of him-my child.
I can almost hear the laughter of him-my child.
I can almost feel the warmth of him-my child.

Now he is here with me-my child.
He completes the me plus three-my child.
I’m glad t have completed this task for him-my child.
And now he is free to be free-My Child.



Torn

Torn, don’t know what to do, does it show?
Stay with my child, or leave while I can go.
The mistress, she sees it, she knows.
She kept my child and made me go.
Will I ever see him again? She is my foe.

Hurt, I miss him, can’t you see?
Stay with my child, or leave while I can go.
The mistress, she sees it, she knows.
She kept my child and made me go.
Will I ever see him again? She is my foe.

Hurt, I miss him, can’t you see?
My other two children, they question me.
Not with aloud but with their eyes, I see
I left poor young Bennie, how can it be?
I’d change it all if I could, for any fee.

I hope he forgives me, I love him
I hate that I left him alone, with them
But I had to go, it was sink or swim
I’ll never stop fighting, never stop trying
So long as he is not here, I’ll never stop crying.
I love my Bennie, I’ll show him one day
The love I have for him will never go away
For the rest of our lives I’ll find a way
To make it up to him, to always say
I love you.