The First Language

[schadenfreude]

An open palm was the first conciliation
and a handshake was the first kiss.
Once, in the era before voices,
we spoke with our hands: delicate fingers
fluttering like the wings of a freed sparrow,
or stiff joints sounding harsh creaking cracks.

Maybe that is why our hands now hang
awkwardly by our sides, remembering the world’s
first language- when more was said in less;
when we didn’t scream broken stones and hide
mottled truths behind viscous toffee voices.
And perhaps we still need that ancient tongue
to say what our own tongues cannot, and to
hold up our spirits, when nothing else seems pure
or solid anymore.

So I gesture wildly when I speak, and
flicker frail fingers in the silence,
hoping you’d remember when two palms
held flat were for forgiveness
And light fingertips on skin were for love.

[firefangled]

Schadenfreude, I liked this poem. This was particularly descriptive of so much communication today.




... when more was said in less;
when we didn’t scream broken stones and hide
mottled truths behind viscous toffee voices.
And perhaps we still need that ancient tongue
to say what our own tongues cannot...

I thought forgiveness and love were excellent choices excellent examples. Thanks.



So I gesture wildly when I speak, and
flicker frail fingers in the silence,
hoping you’d remember when two palms
held flat were for forgiveness
And light fingertips on skin were for love.

[TheFifthElement]

A beautiful poem schadenfruede.

[symphony]

Nice one, Schaden. I particularly liked:

And perhaps we still need that ancient tongue
to say what our own tongues cannot, and to
hold up our spirits, when nothing else seems pure
or solid anymore.

[ampoule]

I think this is so powerful and beautiful. The feeling I get from "Maybe that is why our hands hang awkwardly by our sides" brings a lump to my throat. A simple touch on the shoulder can say more than a thousand words out of our mouths or written on paper.
As a student and teacher of hula and intrepretive dance, I know the importance of the hands. I would like to read your poem to my next class.

[Pendragon]

Loved it Shades. It has been said of me, that if one should tie my hands I would be rendered incapable of speech! My hands always move, which I found to my surprise, that a hearing impaired student that went to Community College when I did, and required a trained speech coach could usually understand me, when we ran into each other in the student lounge. I do not know AMSL per se, but she understood me well enough. I can read lips, so I could understand her, as she had learned to talk, but was embarrassed easily. Wonderful poem. We wonder today why there are so many recognized hand gestures. Your poem answered that, I think. http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l108/AbsalomKane/Smilies/Anime.gif