American Sign Language

its still hard to enunciate

ghosts talk how-how

not easy to master

context none

its glossary is impossible

me life complain-complain list

but i want forgiveness

mistake-mistake long-ago

im a jumble

find mouth gibberish-gibberish

even vowels have

can’t impossible

whats left are my hands

grab s-h-a-d-o-w experience

& breaking free in the sun

one day...

memory first what
f-a-b-r-i-c  weave thread thin thick many
weave-shimmer magic
me-jaw-drop how-how-how

memory second what
people big-mouth-talk-my-face
me born deaf why
me bother deaf not

memory third what
l-o-o-m tall big
{stripe-down up-stripe-front}
look-like door magic

me want toy regular-regular play
no-no-no
w-a-r-p favorite toy
sometimes l-o-o-m weight fun too

threads slender same-same r-e-e-d-s
me-grow-up same-same
every-day...

1
 Morning wind-wind-everywhere
Water mouth-dry-mouth-dry finish
G-a-z-e-l-l-e-s gazelles
Hooves s-e-e-d-s there stuck.

Gazelles trot-trot
Hooves s-e-e-d-s fall-away
Grass meld-pillow protect.

Feel eyes-eyes-look-search hunger
Sense ready
Fingersnaps gazelle p-r-o-n-k how:

Legs-stiffen leap-straight-up
Back-shoulders-drop
Tail-up drop head-up drop p-r-o-n-k that.

Gazelles-pronk-pronk
Look-like eye-shimmer, eye-shimmer
Body-shimmer kill can’t.
From the winds that scheme to dry
every drop of moisture at dawn,...