We All Have Words

We all have voices They are strong and loud We can use them to start Landslides and earthquakes We can also calm the storm Take that roar and turn it into A gentle hum We all have words And it's time that we use them But before we can do that We must change the way we speak We must change the way we look at things Because the words we use now are not correct The words we use now are full of hate The words we use weren't acceptable Years ago so why are they now? Why is acceptable to be using slurs against me? Why is it acceptable to call me something That your mother would consider vulgar? When you speak Can you still taste the soap That she would wash your mouth out with? Does it burn your tongue each time The words escape your lips? Or do you feel nothing at all? Have your dirty words Consumed you enough That no matter how much soap is used They will never be clean? Have they stained your vocal chords So much to a point That you can only speak In profanities and racial slurs? Because that's all I can hear They slap me in the face Each time you speak I remember what you said To that disabled black man crossing the street I remember what you said To the lesbian couple When they kissed each other in front of us I remember what you said to the single Latino woman Caring for her 5 children I remember what you said when I told you I wasn't straight I remember everything you said And I always say We all have words And it's time that we use them But only if we can calm the storm And turn the endless hate Into unconditional love