"Stay In Control" - Bahamas AI Art
©A. Derek Catalano
Think Before You Speak
Before you speak, pause for a beat,
Let silence rise and thoughts retreat;
Words, like arrows, keen and strong,
Once loosed, can’t be withdrawn.
Think of the power in each breath,
The gift of life, the threat of death.
A careless word can cut like glass,
A gentle one can let it pass.
When anger churns, resist the flame,
Consider more than hurt and blame.
Words, like seeds, can poison soil
Or bloom in beauty, free of toil.
Imagine standing in their place,
Before you speak, embrace the grace
To see them whole, to feel their plight,
In darkness, offer up the light.
Do they need praise, a hand, a friend?
A voice to say, “This, too, will end”?
Perhaps a mirror that they lack,
To help them find their own way back.
Words may be shields, a soft cocoon,
Or they can tear like storms at noon.
So wield them well, with heart and care,
And spread what kindness you can spare.
For every ear is tuned to hear
Its name in music, not in fear.
We’re woven all of fragile thread,
A single word can shape what’s said.
The wise will weigh, the calm will wait,
Not every battle needs debate.
Sometimes silence speaks the most,
While hasty words can turn us ghost.
So hold your tongue and find the peace
In letting restless tempers cease.
Think first of love, then let it show,
For words, once given, set their flow.
Consider now, before you speak,
The world you change, the hearts you seek.
What echo do you hope to leave—
A gift of trust, or webs that weave?
And in that pause, there lies the truth:
Our words reveal the shape of youth,
Of hope, of sorrow, joy, or rage,
The stories that we dare to stage.
Speak with intention, soft and true,
For words, like feathers, gather, too.
One by one, they build the air
Where others breathe; be kind and fair.
Before you speak, pause for a beat—
Let wisdom fill the empty seat.
Then speak with purpose, heart, and mind,
And leave a legacy that’s kind.
Before you speak, pause for a beat,
Let silence rise and thoughts retreat;
Words, like arrows, keen and strong,
Once loosed, can’t be withdrawn.
Think of the power in each breath,
The gift of life, the threat of death.
A careless word can cut like glass,
A gentle one can let it pass.
When anger churns, resist the flame,
Consider more than hurt and blame.
Words, like seeds, can poison soil
Or bloom in beauty, free of toil.
Imagine standing in their place,
Before you speak, embrace the grace
To see them whole, to feel their plight,
In darkness, offer up the light.
Do they need praise, a hand, a friend?
A voice to say, “This, too, will end”?
Perhaps a mirror that they lack,
To help them find their own way back.
Words may be shields, a soft cocoon,
Or they can tear like storms at noon.
So wield them well, with heart and care,
And spread what kindness you can spare.
For every ear is tuned to hear
Its name in music, not in fear.
We’re woven all of fragile thread,
A single word can shape what’s said.
The wise will weigh, the calm will wait,
Not every battle needs debate.
Sometimes silence speaks the most,
While hasty words can turn us ghost.
So hold your tongue and find the peace
In letting restless tempers cease.
Think first of love, then let it show,
For words, once given, set their flow.
Consider now, before you speak,
The world you change, the hearts you seek.
What echo do you hope to leave—
A gift of trust, or webs that weave?
And in that pause, there lies the truth:
Our words reveal the shape of youth,
Of hope, of sorrow, joy, or rage,
The stories that we dare to stage.
Speak with intention, soft and true,
For words, like feathers, gather, too.
One by one, they build the air
Where others breathe; be kind and fair.
Before you speak, pause for a beat—
Let wisdom fill the empty seat.
Then speak with purpose, heart, and mind,
And leave a legacy that’s kind.
©A. Derek Catalano
