Maybe our first words were primitive poetry

Grunts and growls; sighs, whimpers, and coos

Emotions and intentions expressed unadorned

Without syntax or clutter but abundantly rich with meaning

Straight-to-the-heart notions and messages

Binding us to one another

Through sounds and quiet spaces between sparse words

Specific to our species

Now we are overwhelmed by the cacophony of multitudinous words

Like the discordant clanging of a thousand bells