Somehow what worked for Jackson Pollock in painting doesn't work when I try to communicate to others. I think poet Richard Hemmings expressed [clearly!!] that problem in the following poem.Language Problems (you know what I mean?)
Sometimes I try to speak, and hope you hear what I said or better yet,what I wanted to say, but I fear, you heard what you wanted me to say, or worse,
what you were afraid I meant. Perhaps I meant what I said, but wanted to be heard in a different way, and thought, that you would hear what I meant when I
said what I said. Or perhaps, I meant what I thought, and fooled you when I said something entirely different than what you thought I meant, or thought
I
said
Telepathy is better? Or, perhaps just silence is best.
Anybody else ever feel that way?
4 comments:
Yes, sometimes silence is better when you don't know quite what to say. But there are times when you know what to say and you say it right but the tone of your voice gives it different meaning. Maybe sign language is better on some occasions? --- barbara
oh boy, i've been feeling like that a LOT lately, like nothing that comes out of my mouth bears any resemblance to my thoughts, or the truth i want to speak. these days, english is my second language, and i don't have a first.
Anybody else ever feel that way?
Absolutely!
People misunderstand silence too.
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