'You are incredulously incredible! '
I translated very more badly.
'How is the way to your heart? '
You laughed.
'I would like very much to...'
I fumbled and couldn't continue
which was strange as we both spoke
perfect English
but I was having the difficulty of trouble
making myself understood...understand?
Oh man!
In the ultimatum of desperation
I flung away the phrase book
and kissed you!
Suddenly you understood!
I knew...you would!
***
Although this poem is a surreal situation where Love suddenly takes on all the mangling of trying to speak in a language unfamiliar to you...as you reach for words to tell what it is you want to say even as the language crumbles...even as you speak...
Yet it is taken from real life.
Anu, my Finnish wife spoke better English than I so she never got around to teaching me a little Finnish and so my language longings languished. Yet still I tried! On this occassion I grabbed a Finnish dictionary and flicked through trying to create a fiendishly Finnish expression for my love...of course, even with the aid of a dictionary it still came out all stupidly stupid but she had a good laugh at my friendly Finnish failings.
When I grew too desperate...I resorted to the solution in the poem.
Suffice it to say...it worked!
After all, a kiss is just a kiss.
Something that you must...remember!
Dónall Dempsey
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/love-is-a-foreign-language/
