Poems and Thoughts    by Frank Maurer

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Reconciliation or (just) Recognition? Three generations sat together at Thanksgiving, Discussing, in part, their problems with communication. The oldest one, who spoke well, And did not grow up with electronic communication, Actually apologized for having been so stubborn To resist the new electronic mode of talking. The middle generation liked the apology, But offered no compromise. The youngest of the generations, Admitted he just did not use email and will not talk With the oldest generation's attempt Of at least trying to pass on something to him! From the elder's viewpoint, minimally, He only made a truce of emotion, And gained no true compromise from the other two; Hardly reconciliation and perhaps just recognition. Humans are the only animal who evolutionarily Can speak and have a complex, written language. Will this marvelous genetic ability languish--unused-- And mutate back to vocal grunts and silence, Augmented by spurts of electricity? Frank Maurer 26 November 2023 0850 Hours.