Language

The element of communication,
To many, a general phenomenon.
The syntax of words,
The phonology, grammar and semantics,
All coming together as one-
One language.

The words you speak,
Meaningful to you
And gibberish to another.
The words you know,
Whether living or dead language
Is modern to another.

The way I know how
To enter someone else’s head
Making them tick,
The way I know how
To go inside their skin
Living as another; a totally different person

The key to open doors,
Accessing the richness of another culture,
Acquiring a taste for the land.
The way your lips pucker
As you unveil your ‘couture’
Or the twitch in your arm on entry into Italian.

So language we must learn,
Making sure
It’s passed down
From one generation to the next.
Consequently, the element of communication
Remains alive and secure.

If I cannot understand what you say,
We can no longer be accepted as citizens
Of the same world.
This general phenomenon
Becomes gibberish to both of us!
Because I don’t understand your language.

© The poets voice~~~ June 2008, All rights reserved.