Sticks, Stones, Words and Bones by Bob Jones

Wellington Chiobvu's dream is to be a writer, a poet to be precise. His prose comes from the heart.

During the formative years of Wellington’s life, his love of words was honed through the Village of Hope. in Harare, Zimbabwe.

The VoH was established in 2003 as a place for HIV/AIDS orphans to find family, love and hope.  Jocelyn and I were there when the dream of hope was birthed in a dusty field on the edge of Harare. As the Village grew, housing, education, medical care, and sports were offered to the children who lived onsite and with children in the neighboring community. Wellington's family was in that neighborhood.

Education, training and opportunity provided by the VoH helped propel Wellington into a future of possibilities. Jocelyn and I sponsored Wellington for eleven years through a program called, Child Care Plus.

When Wellington turned 16-years old, he wrote to us about his dream: to see his poems published on the internet. Like any proud family members, Jocelyn and I wanted to help his dream come true. Every dreamer deserves a platform. Our blogsite, REVwords, isn’t world famous, but it is a platform. We posted three of his poems in June 2016. The great thing about the internet is the words posted there live forever.  You can read three of Wellington's poems here. 

Sometimes a single word can change everything. Like the word "hope"

Some words go bone-deep. They get into your soul

When you think about it, words have a supernatural kind of power. Superficially, they are nothing but soundwaves moving through the air or markings on a page, but they have the power to convey meaning and they can affect people profoundly.

 

"Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones." Proverbs 16:24

 

"A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones." Proverbs 17:22 

 

"Good news refreshes the bones." Proverbs 15:30 

 

Do you remember the line, "sticks and stone may break my bones but words will never hurt me?" It was a sing-song response to teasing. The line was a thinly-veiled attempt to encourage “toughness.” It was taught to kids by well-meaning adults, including parents.

 

The truth is that couldn’t be further from reality. The words we speak and write, last long after they are heard or seen. They can leave scars or they can make a person feel like a star.

Wellington is turning 21 in June. He's a star.

 

I write to grow hope, inspire people to be real, forge an authentic faith in Jesus, and discover their life purpose.

Please follow my writing at REVwords.com

I would love to hear from you.