Languages have words for what
The culture values. In English, we have
Precise words to describe cars and electronics,
But rice … it’s just rice. In Indonesia,
Though, they have different words for
Growing rice, bagged rice, rice in the market.
In English, we love pizza and our spouse and
Your new haircut. How imprecise.
In Greek, there are the famous four words
To describe love: the sexual eros,
The friendly philia, the affectionate
Storge, and the unconditional agape.
It is striking to me now that we don’t have a word
To say, “I wish you didn’t have to wake up alone on
Your birthday” or “I wish your mother did not shake
Convulsively and moan anytime she’s upright.”
We use the clumsy “I’m sorry,” what people say when
Accidentally bumping in a hall or spilling a drink.
Without even a vocabulary for empathy, let alone
Grief, how impoverished are we, both the hurting
And the hurting with.
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