"A busy mouth is a happy human"

Mm.
Imbibing,
smoking, toking,
yapping, smacking,
giving advice, making nice,
making out, singing out, SHOUT!,
giving head, remembering the dead,
masticating, contemplating... out loud,
screaming Marco Polo in a crowd to find
your lover blanketed in train station lighting,
finding sureness in alerting your kin to "take cover!"
in a tornado and truly believe you'll all be ok if you do,
licking anxious sweat dew off of your upper lip,
accepting that very first sip of
beer,
water,
vodka,
bloody mary,
crying out in pure elation,
praying with a congregation,
discussing the origin of our creation,
Sunday brunch mimosa after church,
baring your wretched soul to your mother,
reminding your father you're a better man,
teaching your sister's children how to speak up...

But there is nothing
my mouth can do
that would do justice to
that look I gave you.

Nuns take a vow of silence
Sages speak only truth

People get in more trouble
because of the slippery tongue
than any other member.

But I use it now
to give thanks
for having it.