Two Lips Closed Shut

This was inspired by a close friend of mine, who is deaf, and upon greeting him for the first time, we communicated without speaking.

I spoke to him with two lips closed shut,
Hands in front of face,
Eyes racing,
Tracing meaning,
Face beaming speaking without lips.


When the hands fell gently to the hips,
The ghost ship 'Silence' sailed between these two gentlemen
And grips these two merry men.


Eyebrow raised,
Lips like a healed graze on the skin,
As if when used it rips open causing pain,
Communication regained the pain disperses,
And though silence remains, understanding is gained
in body language, no longer maimed
Fully functional hands, eyes, brows, legs.


Bows and curtsies, flirting glances and dirty winks and eyebrows lifted
cross the void that language created and named.


Language shamed communication,
meaning or rather lack of sped up by abandoning movement.


I can speak with two lips closed shut,
Eyes racing,
Tracing emotion from facial expression.


I can, can you?