I felt so sentenced by your words,
I felt so judged and sent away,
Before I go I’ve got to know
Was that what you mean to say?

Before I rise to my defense,
Before I speak in hurt or fear,
Before I build that wall of words,
Tell me, did I really hear?

Words are windows, or they’re walls.
They sentence us, or set us free.
When I speak and when I hear,
Let the love light shine through me.
There are things I needed to say,
Things that meant so much to me,
If my words don’t make me clear,
Would you help me to be free?
If I seemed to put you down,
If you felt I didn’t care,
Try to listen through my words
To the feelings that we shared.

(Ruth Bebermeyer)