You Don't Understand

I know that we speak the samelanguage.

You know that I've said itten thousand times,

But somehow we're just notcommunicating

In enumerating a tired oldtheme.

Taking apart every syllable,

Every nuance laid threadbare before us, picked clean.

And still you don't hear, ordo you ignore?

Would it help if I shoutedand screamed?

 

The rules of politeconversation sometimes

Tie the pitiful hands of thearticulate

When the ears of the listenerdeafen and turn

In directions too often notmeant to be tread,

Leaving the speaker, theteller of stories, to

Squirm in frustration much tothe point

Of wishing the listener, tohis dismay,

Were strangled, beaten andleft for dead.

 

Such a simple, magicalplan...

Pity you don't understand.