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.