Hand Dance

When I was young I could not hear I would stand there and wail screech like a banshee Ahhhhhh,for food Ahhhhhh,for drink Then language dripped into my fingertips The intricate dance of hands Words with no lips I don’t remember when I could not hear All I know is noise and Now the world is whispered lies Drunk men shouting on street corners Dogs yapping and voices leaden with sarcasm I don’t miss my deafness but somehow in the process of gaining my hearing I feel like I’ve lost something else