I am a semicolon type of guy; I like thoughtful pauses

and complete ideas snapping together at the joints

like lincoln logs;

I like the world of structure, details, depth, and big pictures.

 

But I’m getting comfortable with exclamation marks,

which I never liked. They seem overly exuberant.

They get stuck on at the end of a sentence

to indicate urgency at nothing and make

shallow cries for attention!

I am learning short, declarative sentences. They may lack

detail, but are powerful in their brevity.

I’ve noticed others like the exclamations.

I think they like the friendliness—

I think they like the simplicity of uncompounded ideas.

They are straightforward and approachable!

So, I am learning to write,

I am learning to speak,

in bullet points. I am learning

the patterns of speech of others

to better be heard.

 

I am getting comfortable with question marks,

which seem too hesitant, too unsure.

Doesn’t it seem they lack confidence in stating the truth?

But I’ve noticed others like the questions.

Do they like the friendliness

of leaving ideas open to possibility?

If I learn to to write in conditionals,

if I learn to speak with curiosity,

if I learn the punctuation of others,

will I be better understood?