Abused and Misused

We learn to skip before we run, We learn to crawl before we walk. We often look before we leap But rarely think before we talk. Words are our friends and should be cherished as such, But too many, it seems, don't seem to care very much. I have pity on poor defenseless words When we batter, and bludgeon, And pummel, and trounce them, And feel especially bad When I abuse, or misuse, Or misspell, or mispronounce them*. *Author's note and disclaimer: Many of you, dear readers, are well aware that in certain of my pieces, I do these things with a certain degree of frequency, but when I do, I claim poetic license and/or plead the Ogden Nash Amendment, which is: My muse made me do it.