Words echo continuously
as I lie lugubriously in bed
A ring twirling 'tween my fingers
Attached to a golden thread

Words that stab and bite and pinch
And maim my wakened mind
And cause the layers of my heart
So slowly and painfully unwind.

Words I've heard before
Words said too many times
Words that offer protection
Words instead commit the crime.

Words, to me, that mean the world
But to you, are useless and plain.
When you utter these words
It brings  me either joy or pain.

Words of this caliber are dependent,
Mostly, from whose lips they descend.
They have the power to break
Or, for a lucky few, to mend

Words, however, have me defensive.
They're never on my side.
They're always used against me
to defend your heartless pride.

For words, you used to promise
And to protect me, too.
However words can't protect me
From the damage done by you.