What You Wouldn'T Say Poem by Maya Reid

It’s funny, really
How much one word can do
The effect one little word
Can have
On a family
On a life

There’s one word that’s great
It could start a family
It could start a life
It’s the bond between us
That invisible string that ties us all together
The underlying reason behind everything
And while we sometimes act like it’s not there
Without that one word
We’d be lost

But there’s another word
And this one’s terrible
The kind of word you don’t even want to think about
The word that couldn’t possible happen to you
To your family
A word that could rip your family
Your life
To shreds
A word that’s not what this is

The second is a word you refuse to say
A word that would ruin so many lives
A word you’d rather ignore
Than be responsible for
How could you say it was wrong
If you never said no?

Because he shouldn’t
It’s not right
Why didn’t you tell him that?
Well, it didn’t always feel bad
At first it just felt like the first word
The good one
If you confronted him he’d just say
It’s only because of word one

At least this way it doesn’t hurt
With the other guy it hurt
And there were scars
Now there’s just a voice
In your head
That whispers
Stop
No
This isn’t right

The wrong kind of one is two, too.