Domination

My 4 year old asked what the word domination meant, and it got me thinking about how we learn language and how it's never really ours, no matter how much we master it.

Today you asked about domination.

I asked you where you’d heard the word: 

you told me from a story book 

and I remembered where it 

sat amongst others and it became easier to explain. 

 

As this is language: words held in orbit

saying this is who you are, 

this is you.

Like dominate, to command and make your own,

like you do with words, as you learn 

how the world works but sometimes doesn’t.

 

And that’s not your fault.

But you will blame yourself when others dominate

and bruise yourself on their definitions

because we all do the same.

 

So keep asking what things mean

and I will explain, 

but the best lesson you can learn

is that words are yours

and never yours.