Watch your language
Words weave in and out of our lives
Hold the power to tell truth or lies
Can build a bridge or a wall
Spoken in foolishness they divide
Conveyed in understanding they unify
This is why I carry a dictionary by my side
Disassemble the literal meaning
Enfold in modern discourse
Watch to see if it holds its burden
For there is no hiding intention in expression
Misuse reveals their mark
As much as missing lines are a sign
A stranglehold has prevailed in silence
Soundbites are shoved into mouths
Conversations are polite scripts
Nothing really matters
Truth is greeted with disbelief
History is re-written
Ideologies run on repeat
Until they are believed
Narrowing options
Knowledge is lost
Watch your language
For it is the thread that binds humanity
-Camille Delaquise
This poem appears in RISE, Camille’s second contemporary poetry collection. Watch your language reflects on the moral and political weight of speech — tracing how language can be used to distort truth, enforce silence and narrow collective thought, even as it remains the essential medium through which human understanding is made possible.
This poem is available as a contemporary poetry print on textured recycled card.