“I understand”
can be said anytime and anywhere
in any conversation
It can be used as a dismissal
a cursory acknowledgement of every previous statement
A way to prep the upcoming words for their life-changing debut
Or
it can be the ultimate foreplay
for confrontation

So no matter how many times a back is patted
in a soothing motion straight out of a TV drama
Or how much a brow is furrowed in practiced sympathy
The always influential stereotypes
taint every interaction

This endless quantity of understanding words
cannot replace true validation
Connection of that sort goes beyond
the movements of lips and teeth and tongue