miscommunication

darned written exchanges...

lacking inflection
naked printed words fall short
clarity suffers

ambiguity
short-cuts and assumptions reign
sarcasm misfires

without winks and smiles
teasing words become hurtful
no reassurance

minus vital cues
some things cannot be written
risking far too much

 

Reviews

[Rick Puetter]

Hi Mason,

Whoa, nice one. I simply love

"ambiguity
short-cuts and assumptions reign
sarcasm misfires"

So true. Some of the problems may be with the English language, itself, however. English is such a precise language, capable of great expression and nuance. But sometimes we just can't get the right words out given the pressures and rush of life. By contrast, Japanese, for example, is much less precise and I think to some extent that causes the reader to withold judgement a bit and to wait for clarification.

An interesting piece, to be sure! Greatly enjoyed.

Best regards,

Rick

[Mark]

it is certainly true that too often, word uttered with the best of intent and in complete innocence may be misconstrued by the recipient, and the whole thing reach critical mass before either party knows what happened. Your crisp, Haiku-formatted stanzas deliver a searing warning to all of us who occasionally presume too much upon our e-friendships, as they are predicated upon very slender slivers of understanding in most cases. Thank you for this clear plea for tolerance and patience.