Give you a hint:  rhymes with bird.
Give you another:  say it won't harm.
These also rhyme:  curd, nerd, spurred.
Some are boring, some have charm.

"In the beginning" is a good clue.
Found in every house in every land.
It can be false, or it can be true .
Few things are more often in demand.

Let's see.  What else?  It is very useful,
Yet wasted like you would not believe.
Wish I could say it is always truthful.
Can be used to express joy, and to grieve.

There are so many versions of each,
Yet most of us know only one or two.
Most Americans think a peach is a peach.
Other ____s for it, don’t have a clue.

Sometimes there are not enough.
Mostly too many, it would seem.
All too often, they are rough,
Poets polish them until they gleam.

Haven't guessed, here's hint number whatever.
If sticks and stones can break our bones,
What is said not to by the not-so-clever?
Come on, you know this one, homes.

Google, Facebook, Tweet. and Twitter
Would fold without this four-letter [what]?
Shame on you if you’re starting to titter,
Thinking four-letters means dirty.  Not!

Can be dirty, can be sweet and clean.
Countries stayed as neutral, be peace.
Trouble is, a lot who use them are mean.
Shame on them, right?  Desist and cease!

Thought sure you’d get it. Think  dictionary.
Think thesaurus, express, symbol, grammar.
Even need it when playing Pictionary.
Big ones often tend to make us stammer.

Love them, myself.  Da-de-fi-fo-ta-de-ta-dum
More syllables, the better,  I say.
Baby's start with  mama or papa or da or mum.
Others do great harm, for which we all pay.

Haven't guessed yet?  You out of your head?
Last one, listen up:  grunts were not enough
So we came up with  _____s to use instead.
Keep multiplying is what makes it tough. 

We can make words work for us, I think.
Just need to write, speak, and sign with care.
Not use words that sting or just plain stink.
Use more love and thanks and help and fair!

            
              (c) Phyllis Jean Green   
                                                May, 2011