Words am I

My friend Tim wrote me this farewell poem upon conclusion of our rhyming contest on facebook:

"So sadly . . . farewellto Corina, of verse and rhyme
For whose wit, no matchcould facebook quite find
Her words, her image . . . evoke elegance and magic
Last seen at her keyboard,waxing not monosyllabic"

My response to Tim:

Tim, this is for you and anyone else who thinks I am missing in action . . .

Words am I

I am a friend for life in times good and bad
A survivor who endures all changes and fads
No need for goodbyes, no sad wistful sighs
For I remain in spirit, in the mind’s eternal sky

I sweeten the lips of lovers
I grease the wheels of war
I voice human hearts in diaries and memoirs

Seek me in scripture, sing me in song
Study me in libraries in tomes overlong
In graffiti-splashed walls and in stories to tell
In truth and fiction and feelings I dwell

I haunt inner places wheres sticks and stones can't reach
I comprise curses and prayers and all manner of speech
I travel across centuries by recorded means
From ancient stone tablets to LCD screens

I’m whispered in rumor and published in news
I’m shared by all to inform and amuse
Dissect me, perfect me, translate, or remake me
But God help those who ever forsake me

I am solemn in promise and jovial in jest
Laden with power in feelings professed
Depending on the aim I wish to achieve
I can seduce, destroy, inspire, or deceive

Handle me with care lest relations go awry
Proffer in good intention and use not to lie
The flesh is oh so fleeting, but words do not die
I transcend time and space, for words am I.