a deaf mans hands

His hands are strong,
They have to be
They work all day and never stop.


They constantly move, never stopping
Always flitting about like a hummingbird.
Gracefully they pat and tuck and turn and roll.
Leaping from one word to the next faster than you can see.


The hands know what you are about to say
They are alive in sense beyond the norm.
They grab your words and release a thought to you.
The soft sounds of skin on skin indicate what word they are saying

His hands are sentient and convey thoughts
Beyond what he meant to say
Conveying his anguish, his love, his innermost feelings
We see his heart in his words


The words are a sort of hug
More meaning than any other language.