Language Barrier

from Speaking of Love by Ami Mattison

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lyrics

Language Barrier

I begin beneath your earlobe,
along the hinge of your jawbone.
My lips press softly against
that darkened space.

I whisper stories about my ancestors,
speak this common language, so you
might understand where I come from.

From your tongue, sounds slip,
seductive and loose, those three words
we have come to believe can say everything.

I know little of Telugu,
your native tongue.

Only enough to comfort you:
Buji. Baby.
Na Na. Sweetheart.
Ma Bangara Condaloo. My golden jewel.

I repeat these words

when we make love beneath the sun,
straining through the slats of the window blinds

or when we talk on stormy nights
as thunder punctuates our sentences.

They are never enough.

How to tell you the language
of you inhabits me?

How to tell you
the pulse in my wrist
beats the rhythm of your name?

credits

from Speaking of Love, released February 10, 2017
Written and directed by Ami Mattison

license

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about

Ami Mattison Nashville, Tennessee

“A spoken word force to be reckoned with” (Atlanta Journal-Constitution), Ami Mattison is “a powerhouse poet...sexy, funny, funky, and yet substantive." (TheTennessean).

Touring since 2002, Mattison has performed at various art venues, festivals, conferences, colleges, and universities throughout the US and Canada. ... more