I'll comment more later when I have more time/energy. Just wanted to note a few things before I forget.
I love word play! I grew up writting in a personal journal filled with word play, and eventually also started writing poetry in which word play also took on the shapes and rhythms of poetry. Layered meanings are one of my favorite thing ever. The more you can jam into the most concise of packages in the most clever manner, the better. I once wrote a poem, I think around 6-8 lines, where every line meant something different if you paired it with the line above or below, or read it by itself.
Also, the book/movie/screenplay Rosencrantz And Guildenstern Are Dead was amazing. The word play, and play in general was great. Plenty of layered meanings. It's even up on youtube.
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Thank you deeply for sharing your experiences. I don't feel so alone anymore.