Are You Scared of Words?

'You are being audited,' note written and paid by a government gone wild
'I'm sorry to tell you your son/daughter has been killed…' sadness in sound
making it less pleasant?

An asteroid is coming…
Insurance has lapsed and the home is on fire…
My period is late, honey…

Words of man make man shudder
Words of man make women cry
Words rooted in Latin make countries go to war
Words written and spoken, in any language, are only words of air spoken
or
letters formed.

Hsss…listeeen…hu-man…
I…speeeeak…y-ore…lang-ugge…
weeell.
Heee-re… ( slllsh ) … (guuurgle) … tell … you-u… I
loov-vee … you-u

Wh-y… you-u … ruu-un ?
I… loov-vee… you-u
I…speeeeeak…y-ore…lang-ugge..
weeell.

Isss-s…( slllsch ) … (guuuurgle) … my …usssse-e … offff… woooord-s?
Iii…wriiite-e… you-u…loov-vee… meesage-ee… an-dd… you-u…ruu-un?
Comeeee-e…baack-k… ( guuuurgle)
see-e…myyy…space-ee…ships.
Comeeee-e… plaay… ( slllsch )…wittth…mee-e…

The end of one conversation and the beginning of very bad diplomatic relations with a species
who could obliterate this planet with only saying, 'one' word.

Find more by Robin B. Lipinski in the Author Index.

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