Word Endings

for Pat

Who decided a door would be a door,
une porte, eine tür? You were intrigued
how words were born
and how some just don't translate
as if their languages conspired to keep
the meanings to themselves.
Your native hywl was one you said
no  English word could capture.

I wish I could tell you how in Japanese
some adjectives like kind, intelligent,
conjugate to show they're in the past,
there is no future tense
and my online dictionary offers
over twenty different words for tears.