remains all supple hands and gesture skin of language fusing its finest seam in fluent light with a raised finger dance of lips each sentence complete he speaks to the shadow of leaves strung tissue paper snipped into delicate flags on which side of the conversation did anyone begin? wearing two skins the brilliant question mark of Mexico stands on its head like an answer
The Man Whose Voice Has Been Taken From His Throat
About the poet
Naomi Shihab Nye
Naomi Shihab Nye was born on March 12, 1952, in St. Louis, Missouri, to a Palestinian father and an American mother. Nye is the author of numerous books of poems, most recently Cast Away: Poems for Our Time (Greenwillow Books, 2020). Her other books of poetry…
View profile & all 7 Poems / StoriesMore from Naomi Shihab Nye
Kindness
Before you know what kindness really isyou must lose things,
Two Countries
Skin remembers how long the years growwhen skin is not touched, a gray tunnel
Famous
The river is famous to the fish.The loud voice is famous to silence,
Negotiations with a Volcano
We will call you "Agua" like the rivers and cool jugs.We will persuade the clouds to nestle around your neck
Fuel
Even at this late date, sometimes I have to look upthe word "receive." I received his deep
