You Don’t Understand. Poem by Rm. Shanmugam Chettiar

Man from the Mars and women from the Venus
Talk Greek to each other and find rhythm.
He says to her. ‘You don’t understand.’
She says to him, ‘You don’t understand.’
Not understanding is not for language
But for lack of emotion and concern.
She yearns for him to empathize with her.
He longs for her to sympathize with him.
She needs a listener in her partner.
He needs a trusty in her partner.
When their talks to each other break these norms,
To each other they say, ‘You don’t understand.’
That you don’t understand means more than words.
18.04.2015