Be Careful What You Convey

When does a joke go to far?
How far do you go for a hardy- har- har?
When it hurts someone’s feelings,
Leaves them stunned and reeling,
Who does that say who you are?

To joke at one’s expense,
To leave them angry and tense,
Was it worth what was said,
To get smacked in the head?
Should they not have taken offense?

The urge to defend
Can have a violent end.
Words can incite
But fighting’s not right.
Not at all what we should commend.

We should not be rewarded
For actions violent and sordid
Over something non-threatening,
Although highly unsettling,
When quips become quickly distorted.

Both word and deed
Can make hearts and flesh bleed
If we don’t stop to consider
How things quickly get bitter
If are actions are not refereed.

To those of you who say
No joke is wrong, all are ok,
To those who use violence
To honorably strike into silence,
Think first of the harm your actions convey.