LatinosUSA

Keeper Of the Quiet

Much after the shock
of bearing a muted gene,
she learned the power
of that tiny switch
tucked behind the ears.
A secret lever, others never see,
Yet she can summon at will.

When…
the world roars, dogs bark in unison,
traffic screeches, drills go off,
and horns blare,
bliss is hers with just one click.
Serenaded by silence,
she feels blessed.

At family meals,
while they raise their voices
to get a point across,
her feeble attempt
to lend her voice
gets squashed,
dismissed, as
What can she offer

During these times,
when tempers rise
and insults start to fly,
sometimes breaking into fist fights
over who will win the FIFA Cup,
She presses on “mute mankind,”
and waits till the fury dies.

Then, they are the ones
who, at times
crave for silence
through yoga, weed, and wine,
while she merely taps behind her ears
and achieves a state of nirvana
without practise, or registering
for courses in Vipassana.

What once felt shameful
to be identified as hearing impaired,
now gives her independence
she wouldn’t trade for anything else.
For a few possess this splendid gift
Of turning humans down with a click.
Call it disadvantaged, if it so pleases,
A loss of inheritance,
mother to child.

~~

No Hashtags

She walks alone,
Supremely confident
without any hashtags,
no borrowed name,
no vermillion line
to proclaim status.
Never mind, being
called frigid, queer,
or unsocial.

She owns her mornings,
afternoons, and nights,
keeps her fire burning
and answers to desire
at her own free will.
In solitude, her spirit grows,
a sovereign strength,
a power she wields.
Others can’t understand.