Lip Service

Friends in conversational mood
Turn their faces to me
That I may read upon their lips
Words I'm able to see

Their slightest – most delicate touch
Draws attention near
In noisy environments
Where works can become unclear

It’s unwelcoming
The freeze of feeling ‘left-out’
Trying to guess the subject matter
Or having it totally in doubt

Minimal my hearing impairment
But I profoundly realise
Communicating across the barriers
Takes more than meets the eyes.