words

We didn't say anything because there was such an awful lot to say, and no language to say it in. - William Saroyan, My Name Is Aram, 1940.

Words are the basis for our communication. The alphabet only exists to allow us to have words of diverse enough language for the amount of communication humanity needs. Or so, it seems, was the plan - or the means of survival.

I went into Dansteel, a Trinidad and Tobago attempt at a sort of 'Home Depot' which is pretty useful, and headed into the gardening section. I was on a search for a hoe so that I could clear lines for more lines of corn. And so I stood there in the petite aisle of all manner of shovels, pitchforks, gullets and so forth.

But there were no hoes. There were hoe handles, but no hoes. A lady who works in Dansteel shows up and I ask her, "Do you happen to have any hoes laying around?"

Through the looking glass
You choked back a tear
And all I could offer
Were small words that
Longed to hold you.
They could not.