Sign of Hope

Leave me speechless.
Let my words flutter on
The palm of my bare hand.
I speak in silence.
Don’t pity me
[talking in quiet peace,
[sharing soundless stories,
Using this language—long overlooked— Don’t look over me.
My hands are here.

My hands are telling you:
Look at me.
I grew up voiceless.
I grew up learning that
[Speech is more important than song,
[Song is more important than dance, Dance is in my fingertips—
The story that I weave and wave
in front of my heart.

In front of you, now,
Focus. Look me in the eyes
and tell me it’s not true
That these hands could build
[friendship in unawkward silence,
[a vision, painted masterpiece,
A kindgom and a school.
These two hands are small—
They are mighty as my spirit.

They are mighty in their efforts
To learn, to share.
This language is not for me,
But I am complete
[in the spoken silence,
[as my soul connects,
With this gift.
To speak when I cannot;
To understand your blurry sounds. I grew up mute—
In this, my sign of hope.