Barbed Wires

November, 1965

SINCE SAMUEL F. B. MORSE CABLED IMMORTAL MESSAGE IN 1844 QUOTE WHAT HATH GOD WROUGHT QUERY UNQUOTE TELEGRAMS HAVE BECOME FAR MORE THAN UNIVERSAL MEANS OF URGENT COMMUNICATION STOP WITH LEAN STACCATO METER AND SPECIALIZED VOCABULARY OF RUNTOGETHER ABBREVIATIONS HAVE BECOME ART FORM AS DISCIPLINED AS JAPANESE HAIKU STOP UNLIKE HAIKU HOWEVER HAVE ALSO BECOME MATCHLESS MEDIUM FOR HUMOR INTENTIONAL AND OTHERWISE AND FOR SENDERS' SCATHING WIT PAREN OF WHICH TELEGRAPHIC BREVITY IS SOUL END PAREN STOP R...