Tag: words

Worthless words and unheard chirps

“Say something chirpie, pleaseeee anything!” Anirudh said hopefully. He is a 6 year old little boy who is enthusiastic all the time for no reason. Once I was like that too but look what it has done to me. But that “something” hits me so hard. It’s been a while since someone asked me to say something I wish. I am silent as usual, after a while he is gone with a long face. I don’t know why he tries to make me talk this much. It’s so annoying. I drifted into sleep so I feel less horrible. 

*Six months ago* 

“Hey what are you doing red? I am waiting for you at home so we can go together to get some guavas, I can’t wait to taste the sweetness again,” said Pat drooling over his imagination. “I am bored of just eating. Why don’t we learn new words so we can express ourselves better?” I asked curiously.

‌”Why can’t you behave like a normal bird? I don’t know what you wanna express anything with new words. What we know is enough to express. Besides you have me. I will listen to whatever you say and I will understand and I know you will do the same for me. Isn’t it enough for you?” said Pat cheerfully.

“Ugh I know you would never understand. You say you understand me but all I see is you refusing to learn things. You are lazy and unenthusiastic. I wish I had friends who are like me and I will find them.” I flew away frustrated.

I could hear Pat trying to stop me. But I was too fast. I love my friend but he is just a normal bird who only talks about eating fruits and spending a jolly good time. I don’t like it. And I don’t agree with him about whatever words we know are enough. Words are very important to express and I will find someone like me. I got tired after reaching the city so I found a small empty spot for me to rest. After some time I felt a pat, I opened my eyes and saw a man. He offered me water and I said, “thank you.”

The man’s eyes became wide after I spoke. Guess it isn’t everyday they see a civilized and intelligent bird like me who knows a lot of words. “Wow you are talking, you will be very useful for me. As I gave you water, you owe me one lil birdy.” He then took me into his hands and put me in a cage. I was too shocked to fly away. It was too late but I thought that maybe it’s for my own good. I was tired of flying anyway. Humans know a lot of words they can teach me and I will find people who are intelligent and express things unlike my friend. 

It had been a week since the man sold me to what they call a zoo. There were so many wild animals around me. It felt somewhat like home. People came to see me while I talked. They all were loving me for my intelligence. I picked on so many words and was able to say them too. It was time to go back to my stupid best friend Pat and prove him why I was right. It had been 4 months. I missed that idiot and his senseless blabbering.

It was evening when the owner came to give me snacks. I asked him to let me go as I was done with the work I came for. He chuckled and said, “you are one funny bird. Eat your snack and be a good boy.” Then he was gone. I felt the panic and uneasiness. They are going to keep me here against my will. I thought when I expressed myself with better words they would let me go but this guy wasn’t taking me seriously at all. I didn’t want to be in this cage. It was not at all delightful. I stayed just to learn, now I am bored.

 I kept asking everyone to let me go in the hope that someone will understand me. But no one did. Some people got tired of me. And Some people got angry because I wasn’t saying what they wanted me to say. Some people got bored and even grew impatient. Even the people who said I am their favorite bird stopped coming because I only talked about what I want or how I felt and it was not entertaining. All I felt was regret. If no one cares or likes what I feel then there is no point in talking. So I stopped completely. 

Another month passed and a little boy with his dad came to buy me. The owner said that I was useless because I didn’t talk anymore. They can buy some other bird which says a few words. But the little boy insisted on buying me. So then I got caged in a new cage. Nothing different. The boy asked me to say something daily but I didn’t. It became a boring routine now.

*Present day*

words of white bird perched on cage
Photo by Oli Sumit on Pexels.com

I wake up from my nap. There is a guava placed in front of me. Damn I miss Pat. I don’t remember since when his blabbering started to make sense to me. He said, “whatever you say with your words I will understand.” If only I wasn’t too arrogant. If only I appreciated his friendship. If only I knew you don’t need better words to express to someone who cares enough to listen. And if only I can see him again…..

 “Did you eat your guava chirpie? I got for you specially from that scary uncle’s garden. I ran so fast he couldn’t catch me.” Anirudh laughs and says proudly. “How is it?” He asks me with his curious eyes. I replied, “sweet.” He grinned at me and said, “thought so! I will get you another one tomorrow,” and with that he leaves. For some reason, I feel like talking again. Maybe I will if he wants to listen to whatever I say.

Our rectangles are different

Object, object… object! Remember what an object is—an object some item, some ‘thing’, some being, something with existence. If an object is an existence, a man is an object; a woman is an object. What is man? A thing that has a penis, but gay people have a penis, a penis doesn’t make a man. Okay, the appearance of gay is man, gay is the man. Man is a man, and gay is man, so man is not a penis. Man is a mere abstract concept of appearance, just words!

Concept, the concept is something that is a widely accepted idea. The idea that is spread and I guess it doesn’t need to be widely accepted. An idea is a concept? Then why do we call it a concept? Maybe the context differs. The context! The context of things changes words that we use and meanings that the words mean. So, context, context is important!

“Fuck you” I yell in a comedy situation, and people begin to laugh. Context! “Fuck you” in a rather angry scene makes people thrash me. Context! How to put this? Sentence? Word? Phrase? Rhetoric? I have these recurring thoughts! Context! Subject! Idea! Abstract! These words that run in my head. Imaginations, the thoughts, the desire, the context! I think of pictures, my thought, pictures! I think pictures and visuals.

The visuals of the things that I see, the pictures they appear in my head. My head gives me words, I arrange words to describe the pictures that I see in my head! The visuals! I’m explaining the visuals in my head in a grammatical form to make others understand! Understanding, understanding is crucial for communication. For communication, we need common words.

Common words we assign common meaning. It doesn’t make sense to have different meanings! Meaning! Meaning is a concept that we give to the visual we have in our brain! I assign this visual of a structure in my mind as a rectangle. But are you thinking of a rectangle, when I use the word rectangle? Thinking! Thinking differs, you hear my words, you don’t see my visuals! My visuals are for me!

How can I show you my visuals? Only through mere translations! Translation of those visuals into words! Words that we assign meaning to the visuals. Meaning, the abstract concept of shared understanding. So it is possible of misunderstanding! Misunderstanding, because the word you give to your visual might be different from mine. Even when the words are shared, our visuals are different. 

The rectangle is titled 45 degrees in my visuals. It might be the visual I refer to whenever I imagine a rectangle. But for you, it might be a shape that is on the board drawn by your teacher! Our rectangles have similar attributes, but our rectangles are different! Communications, language and understanding are flawed and create miscommunication and misunderstanding too. But language is the closest victory that we have to communicate. It is flawed, but it is successful, the damages are collateral!

I have put my hand on my keyboard, write! Write in a way… in a form.. in a structure.. understandable structure. But structure destroys! Destroys the visual that is in my head! Can I break the structure? Is a broken structure understandable? My visual explained in the phrase is adjusted! My visual explained in words, words that mean something. Some common attribute, some common understanding. And no form. No sentence form, mere thought! Mere visual, mere word! Read the word! Reading the words create understanding rather than distortion! Oh, the distortion is a diversion, the message! And the message is being sent.

Sent to your mind, you understand me! You understand me more without a form if you see through the words! The words are mere masks, the form -a mere romance, the words are beautiful when they are understood in the same way that they are meant! For that, we need no form, of course, form – beautiful but form is censored. The words that create visuals! The sentences that direct your visuals to appropriate translations. If we did those if we told in a way to communicate our visuals rather than words. We mean a lot, we mean exact! The exact is understood and never misunderstood! Ah, our rectangles will be the same with specifics! Specificity increases and details a visual. Visualise better, explain detailed and our rectangles might just become the same!