Words Unsaid

By Nancy Machlis Rechtman

As the tip of the pen touches the pristine page
Words tumble out
In inky swells
That wash across my notebook.

Held back for too long
They’re a jumble
Of thoughts and emotions
That reveal scattered shards of sea glass
Exposed for all to see.

If I speak the things I want to say 
I can’t take them back
And they’ll ride the tide to the shore
And wash upon the craggy rocks
Where they’ll echo for eternity
And there won’t be anywhere
For me to hide.

They need to remain unsaid
Until I’m sure I’ve got it right
And emotions won’t surge past the barriers
That keep me safe and in control
Of my feelings.

I remember what it was like
Before the barricades were put in place
To silence my voice
And keep the swells from engulfing me
Because certain things
Once released
Will change everything
And most likely
Would drown me.

Nancy Machlis Rechtman has had poetry and short stories published in Your Daily Poem, The Whisky Blot, Grande Dame, Impspired, Trouvaille Review, Fresh Words, The Writing Disorder, Discretionary Love, and more. She wrote freelance Lifestyle stories for a local newspaper, and she was the copy editor for another paper. She writes a blog called Inanities at https://nancywriteon.wordpress.com.