Even Silence

 Working with the elderly
Gives one a unique perspective
About how no one
Truly understands
What you're saying
When you say it...
Children and relatives
Of those with dementia, especially,
Lament how communication
Breaks down...
What they are trying to say
Doesn't come out right,
And, most definitely,
Isn't heard or understood
Correctly...
But this is just an exaggeration 
Of the fact
That no one can express a thought
Correctly... 
Exactly...
Some are better than others,
But even if a thought 
Could be expressed
Completely and correctly,
In general,
Even in "normal" conversation 
With a "normal"
Neurotypical mind,
The chances of being understood
Completely and correctly
Are nearly an impossibility...
Your words
Are colored By their thoughts...
By their beliefs and biases...
By their personal history...
And by their impatience or distractedness...
Even silence is often misunderstood...