Mother tongue, other tongue
From your ceaseless jabber
A million mysteries tumble forth.
I try to catch them
A child grabbing skirts
That swish above her head
You will tug and I will let go.
You shelter, your meaning
Evades my poor grasp
Of your melody of nouns,
Verbs, pronouns
Boring ink shapes in a grammar book
Brought to life in your voice
Jangling against each other
Delighting in their mastery
Relishing their chemistry.
Your words speak to another
But they speak to each other
Clandestine glances of joy
As they slide out into the air.
I catch their beginnings
Their middles, their ends
I repeat them to you
My untrained mouth like a baby’s.
You laugh inwardly at me
Your laugh has an accent.
I would dream in your tongue
And know not what I dream.
It fills my head with Other thoughts
I try it on, five sizes too big!
My accent in your language
My language in your mouth.
We are clumsy and fumbling
Reduced to primitive babyhood.
