Preparation (Poem)

Interaction does not come easily.

Every conversation takes place in a foreign language.

I make notes beforehand,

To remind me what to ask and how to do so.

I practice and rehearse

And remember past exchanges.

This is not because I do not care.

I make this effort precisely

Because I care indeed.

But I remain a foreigner in this human terrain

And find the ground often shifts in unpredictable perplexing ways.