Phonics And Text Messaging* Poem by Sidi Mahtrow

* Read out loud to make meaning clear. The 'translation' follows.

fon nks n txt msgs

st nd g n lyn at pos t of ce
mn n frnt o i wz tx n
hz thmbs mvn lgn n fst
on tny scrn

u cd c msg go ng
he typd w/ot paz e
nvr lkng t c wht he hd cnt
s he al con cn tra shun wz int nt
on kr at ng sub stnc frm th ar

I knd t rd wht he hd typd
ltrs n scrn hibt d tht
bt i wz mprsd by th wy of hs cmmd
typn wrds tht anot r cd und r std

frm of fnks tht r n tught n skol
1 tht hs on set of rls
sm tms vls r smpl y drpd
whl n othr cs s wrds r chpd

thrz no dcn ry r th sr s thts so bold
as t prvd clu t th wrds nw r old
tht sprds xros t bk lit scrn
n sucsn o a thot thts cn

bt hr s a clu
wht u c is bt a few
o th mny wrds n frazs tht r cst
on th tny scrn bt, dn t lst

fr as son as th msgs snt
th fn wl b off tht s th intnt
so tht tl th othr 1
th 1 who gt th rng on hs r hr fn

th msg is n ethr spc n al
tl som 1 ansrs th cal


of a sudn th post ofce ln
b gan t mv n th sndr hd t fnd
n othr plc at n othr tme
whn he cd onc a gn snd
msg to hs frnd

s

*******

Phonics and text messaging

Standing in line at the post office
The man in front of me was text messaging
his thumbs moving lightening fast
and on the tiny screen
You could see the message going
He typed without a pause
Never looking to see what he had sent
As he all concentration, was intent
On creating substance from the air

I couldn't read what he had typed
The letters and screen prohibited that
But was impressed by the way of his command
Typing words that another could understand
A form of phonics that isn't taught in school
One that has it's own set of rules
Sometimes vowels are simply dropped
While in other cases, words are chopped

There's no dictionary or thesauri that's so bold
As to provide a clue to the words, new or old
That spread across the backlit screen
In succession of a thought that seen
But here's a clue,
What you see is but a few
Of the many words and phrases that are cast
On the tiny screen but, don't last
For as soon as the messages sent
The phone will be off, that's the intent
So that until the other one,
The one who got the ring on his (or her) phone
The message is in ether, space and all
Until someone answers the call.

Of a sudden the post office line
Began to move, and the sender had to find
Another place at another time
When he could once again send
A message to his friend.

s