night on the sun.

soft lips sit--

a patient smile
makes them smaller
than those that open wide
to shout some stream of babble…
speaking to fill any awkward silence.
or perhaps they thirst speech to such extents
as to have no honest prerequisites of their partners.

but strong voices cannot be contained for long

and, oh, how I crave your conversation!
fingers and gestures, too, can be nice,
but sign language is no substitute
for those who say ‘I love you’;
a phrase with importance
perhaps only when
imparted betwixt
two pairs of
willing lips