I Learn How To Say Horse In British Sign Language
The sculpture shows a horse,
rolling.
I mouth, point:
what is the sign for horse?
for rolling?
Patient, she demonstrates.
I sign horse,
horse rolling.
I want the signs to make
a poem
but my hands lack nuance;
I don’t know how
to channel language
through my whole self.
She smiles, signs to our
facilitator who translates:
She says in BSL you must
become the horse.
I watch as she
becomes the horse,
becomes the power,
becomes the joyfulness of horse,
the beauty of a horse rolling,
becomes the poem.