Poetry Explorer- Classic Contemporary Poetry, SIGN LANGUAGE, by CLARENCE MAJOR



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Classic and Contemporary Poetry

SIGN LANGUAGE, by                 Poet Analysis     Poet's Biography
First Line: Lift your left hand


Lift your left hand
like this. Higher.
That's right.
Keep the fingers together.
Palm down.
This informs the world
that you are not afraid of flying.
Now, interlock fingers of both hands.
This motion commands
the universe: it means
life is life. Okay?
Beat the palm of the left
hand against the right.
No, harder. Like this!
You know what this means.
This time, hold a level hand
flat against one eye. Yeah.
Look sharply out
of the free one. Get it?
Learn to sleep
with your gloves on. Make sure
the fingers can move
within. Wiggle them.
Keep them warm in this way
all winter. In the spring,
give the gloves to a hawk.
Somebody else will need them.


Used with the permission of Copper Canyon Press, P.O. Box 271, Port Townsend, WA
98368-0271, www.cc.press.org




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