Taboos

Taboos, the rules we dare not break,

The lines we fear to cross or shake,

Imbued with power, they define our fate,

And shape our behavior, both small and great.

 

From ancient cultures to modern times,

Taboos have been woven into our minds,

A web of restrictions that binds,

And separates us from what we find.

 

In some cultures, it's taboo to speak,

Of the dead, lest their spirits seek,

Retribution for the living who break,

The sacred bond that their memory makes.

 

In others, it's taboo to touch,

Or even gaze upon, someone too much,

Lest the eyes or hands become a crutch,

For desires that society deems too much.

 

And then there are taboos of the body,

Of the sexual kind, that can make us gaudy,

Restrictions on what we can and cannot do,

Based on a morality that may not be true.

 

Yet, despite the power they hold,

Taboos are not always what they're sold,

For what is taboo in one culture may be bold,

In another, a norm, to have and to hold.

 

And sometimes, taboo is used to control,

To stifle ideas, to crush the soul,

To maintain the status quo and uphold,

The power of those in charge, so bold.

 

But even as taboos evolve and change,

As societies shift and rearrange,

They remain a force that can derange,

A power that can alter, or constrain.

 

So let us tread carefully through taboo's gate,

And question the rules that we may debate,

For they can both uplift and castigate,

 And shape our world, both small and great.