Foreign Languages

Hearing conversations
Spoken in a foreign tongue
Serves as a reminder of
The folks we live among.

Immigrants from distant shores
Residing where we live
Add a little spiciness
With all they have to give:

Hints of other cultures,
Both alluring and exotic;
Customs that we might just find
A tiny bit quixotic.

When I hear people talking
In a language rich and strange,
I wonder at the meaning of
The words that they exchange.

It’s like a secret code to which
I do not have the key,
And likely what they’re saying
Doesn’t have to do with me.

Yet still, if we could comprehend
A language not our own,
Perhaps the world would cease to be
A xenophobic zone.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012

Poem

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem. Negative comments will result your account being banned.

Please Login to post a comment

Graham Avatar
April 19, 2012 at 8:32 AM
I love the flow and the message. Great poem.
Debole Avatar
April 17, 2012 at 6:59 PM
Ilene - Another good one! Really like the way you communicate your open mindedness. Thank you for reading my poems, and wishing me luck in the contest. - Gail
Amadore Avatar
April 17, 2012 at 10:46 AM
An excellent piece...and quite a cogent and timely commentary on a topic of much current interest in the U.S. Good work!
Get a Premium Membership
Turn off ads, get more exposure for your poetry, and get more features with a Premium Membership.
Book: Diverse Voices: The Poetry of Human Rights and the Pursuit of Peace