As kids, we watched Victor Borge draw them in the air.
We felt them when speeding down a slide and landing on our ass.
We learned that to string too many together would have a contrary effect,
like litter in a sentence, like typing words in ALLCAPS,
simply making white noise where largeness should be.
It’s like it defines physics or something,
the whole less is more thing. And it’s hard to know
what to do when you’re screaming at a shark,
when you’re surprised and then alarmed
and then being devoured.
But it’s like the trumpet of punctuation.
It has a far-flung reach.
When you’re in a funk, it’s hard to find places for them.
When you’re grieving, it’s hard to blow the horn.
!!!