Open your mouth for the mute,

For the rights of all who are destitute.

Open your mouth, judge righteously

Defend the rights of the poor and needy.

Proverbs 31:8-9

When do I open my mouth?

What do I say?

How do I say it?

Why do I say it?

What if I couldn’t:

Gossip

Complain

Lie

Be sarcastic

Speak harshly

Interrupt

What if I could only speak

To help give others a platform to speak

To defend the rights of the poor and needy

What if I could only be a voice

For the mute

For the rights of all who are destitute

What if I could only open my mouth for whatever is

True

Noble

Right

Pure

Lovely

Admirable

Praiseworthy

What if I could only

Listen

Encourage

Advocate

Empower

Love 

What if this past week's words were

filtered through these rules?

What would be left?

Would I have made a sound?