Swear Jar
By Jeff Sloan
I said a word.
Just a word.
Pronounced some letters.
Four of them exactly.
Two dollars please!
...but it was only a word.
A harmless mash-up
Of consonants and vowels.
Where was the harm?
Who's ears are bleeding?
Aren't we free to express ourselves?
Who's label is this anyway?
Who decided that there could be
BAD WORDS?
People love words.
That's why we read books
Why we watch actors.
Why we title our work.
But the kids were listening.
They must be sheltered.
Reality ain't safe, you know?
What if they repeat it?
Repeat a word.
A BAD WORD.
A foul word.
The language of devils and sailors.
We can't have that.
There must be rules to prevent cringes.
A cringe can kill an elderly person.
Disrupt a classroom.
Start WWIII.
So...
Two dollars please!
Clink, clink.
If you can't say it on teevee...
***
I don't believe in "bad" words. Do you?
Ever yours'
J.S.