D/deaf ku

severely deaf
from the backdraft
a small cat with one ear

a snail
in the whispering gallery
cochlear implant

eagle owl
he reads the words
in my eyes

her two hands fly
like a thousand little birds
fingerspelling

insects at daytime
startling the man next to me
with my paper bag

background noise
shaking the cocktail
of voices

strobe lights
from the smoke alarm
night chill

Muddy Waters
your auditory cortex
feels the vibe

a balloon
at your fingertips
the Moonlight

koi
a word signed in your mind's eye
no inner voice

(First published in Magma 69, winter 2017)