I live in your world
of green trees, tall buildings, cement sidewalks.
You walk down busy streets
passing the red faced vendors selling newspapers,
as you move around the city
wandering through the crowds of people.

You don’t live in my world.
I, too, see green trees, tall buildings and cement sidewalks.
But the busy streets I walk are quiet.
The red faced vendors selling their newspapers
are silent.
I move around the city wandering through the crowds of soundless people.

You communicate by speaking,
telling others through words,
listening to the sounds around the city.

I communicate with my hands,
telling others through my gestures,
seeing my way around the city.

But I like my inaudible world,
because when I want to be alone
all I have to do is close my eyes.

I walk down the road
smelling golden hot dogs cooking on street carts,
and fragrant pink flowers in the window boxes.
I feel the ground shake when the subway goes by
and the vibrations of the drum playing at the corner.
I see the yellow cabs dashing by,
the multicolor clothes as the crowds pass,
and the moving red lips of a girl
trying to talk to me.