Words Others Said Poem by Mehreen Mujeeb

You don’t need people to tell you
The person you want to be
What they say only matters
To those who don’t know the power of what they can see

You don’t need the words of people
To whiz around you mind
Even if they scorch or even if they sing
They aren’t yours
Only flames of consolation they bring

Your happiness should not depend
On words that others lend
Because in the end
It’s you who decides
And drives your thoughts and actions to collide

Words others said
Should not decide how you sleep in bed.