Words are never just terms from a dictionary. They are more like packaged time bombs ready to explode at the right moment. This power can be a positive resource or it can ruin everything. The main thing is to respect words and use them artfully. Understand that words don’t always do what you want them to do. To an extent, they have a life of their own. If you are careless with words and use powerful ones without thinking, you risk breaking part of whatever vessel you have been building. Words are like the two-by-fours or concrete blocks that form a wall and a structure. I am careful even with words of greeting and good-bye. You can ruin an hour of work by saying something like, “I hope we do better next time.” That’s a heavy judgment for a client or friend to carry for a week or so.

Poetry is sea-language; it keeps you in the water of your life as you articulate your experience.

You need dialogue so that you can work out a livable connection with this challenging but ultimately creative power.

Contemporary writers often emphasize growth and advance. Someone should also speak for being still and not getting anywhere. The entire rhythm is crucial.

Over time, you may tell it more effectively, and its sheer beauty will help you and connect you to the people in your life. You will find unexpected pleasure in the aesthetics of your thoughts and words, and that, too, will keep you going deeper, looking for further insights and language.