So Sorry to Hear

 

 

How oft have you said,

“So sorry to hear”

When you heard some bad news

Loaded with despair?

 

It is understandable

But not what we mean

And for sure, when it is heard,

It’s not what is gleaned.

 

Someone has passed

And we are “sorry to hear”,

But that’s not what we mean

Though what we share.

 

“So sorry to hear

This happened to you"

But that’s not what we mean-

Not in my view.

 

"Did you hear

What happened to Scot?"

“No,” but when you finally heard

You almost dropped.

 

Genuinely touched,

These words appear

From lips operating by mere reflex,

“So sorry to hear.”

 

You’ve heard it often

And have said it too,

And when you responded like this

You were being true.

 

Albeit, though,

It wasn’t what you meant

For you were glad you heard

But not with evil bent.

 

It is the circumstance

You were sorry about

But when you hear bad news

That’s how it comes out.

 

It’s not “so sorry to hear"

Of some recent mishap

But sorry it has happened as in,

I’ve got your back.

 

If you hadn’t heard

You could not know

That your friend had suffered

A major blow.

 

 

 

Nothing more to say

But I trust you understand

That the expression we often share

Is for the circumstance.

 

Stewart Russell © August 8, 2025

 

Understandable Misunderstanding

 

 

Some misunderstandings are outrageous

Some are relatively mild,

Some are a complete waste of time

But take up quite a while.

 

Some are understandable

Though peculiarly not understood

But these should in no way, I contend

Cause any bad blood.

 

Peculiar in the sense that

That they are easily resolvable,

Misunderstandings, nevertheless,

But nothing irritable.

 

An understandable misunderstanding

Presents no cause for worry,

Though oxymoronic in its definition

We can all agree.

 

If I said something to you

And you heard it differently

That’s an understandable misunderstanding,

I trust you can see.

 

 

It can get out of hand, though,

Depending on the parties

And a lot of stemming can go down

Causing much anxiety.

 

People often hear me say

Things that I surely did not say

And they are adamant that I said such

But I guess that that’s their way.

 

Like for example, I said 46

But for some reason they heard 64

Whereby an argument ensues

And they become intensely sore.

 

An understandable misunderstanding

That is what I mean,

It is not irreconcilable

As some people may deem.

 

Some people get hot under the collar

When they are misunderstood,

Of course, if they are hypertensive

This is surely not good.

 

So, before you go off the deep end,

Ask yourself, is it worth it

To rant and rave and argue

At the risk of your friendship.

 

An understandable misunderstanding:

It can be easily cleared up,

“I didn’t quite get what you said,”

No need to get stuck in a rut.

 

 

I have an elderly friend

To whom I often concede,

It is not about being wrong or right

But more about what she believes.

 

She no doubt believes she is right

And I am the one that cannot recall

But I know with her I cannot win

So, I always take the fall.

 

Another case of the above:

Understandable misunderstanding,

Given her age and memory challenge

I’ll be the one to do the yielding.

 

It reduces the building of tension

And this is understandably so,

She can believe whatever she wants

But what I know, I know.

 

 

Understandable misunderstandings

Need not get out of hand,

To clip it before it goes too far

Surely is a win-win plan.

 

Stewart Russell © April 8, 2023