THE CARELESS WORD.
‘Twas but a word, a careless word
As thistle-down it seemed as light;
It paused a moment on the air,
And onward then it winged its flight.
Another lip caught up the word,
And breathed it with a haughty sneer;
It gathered weight as on it sped,
That careless word, in its career.
Then rumor caught the flying word,
And busy gossip gave it weight,
Until that little word became
A vehicle of angry hate.
And then that word was winged with fire;
Its mission was a thing of pain;
For soon it fell like lava-drops
Upon a wildly tortured brain.
And then another page of life
With burning, scalding tears was blurred;
A load of care was heavier made,
Its added weight, a careless word.
How wildly throbbed that aching heart!
Deep agony its fountain stirred;
It calmed, but bitter ashes mark
The pathway of that careless word.