Taboo

Some words are not only safe to say--
you are actively encouraged to say them,
and from a very young age:
please, thank you, hi, bye bye,
nite nite, bless you.
If you live in another country
the words you must say
are a little different.

Many many words are safe to say.

Generally,
most every word is neutral,
in the right context.

Certain words are safe to say,
but they make most people
uncomfortable,
like death, die, decapitate,
disembowel, incest,
necromancy
and so on.

Cultures
and sub-cultures,
have their particular words
and phrases,
like Peace be with you,
Shabbat Shalom,
Merry Christmas,
God willing,
Asalamalaikum,
Oy vey,
Y'all come back and see us,
Namaste.

Curse words,
colorful slang,
carefully crafted insults,
piquant sarcasm and
stark realism
are generally not welcome
in America.

Everybody Loves a Good Euphemism.

Exploring Taboos,
Dabbling in Dirty Words,
Dancing with the Social
Devil,
rips the band-aid off
your bad eye.
See?

The Safety of Group-Think,
how safe is it?
How Cute is your Culture?
What can't you Say
and Why?

Whose Pain are you avoiding,
and how long can you put it off?

Think of Nietzsche
and Neo.