Stranger #1

he speaks
slowly
as though each letter catches
under his tongue
and trips his lips
as they try to form
coherent thoughts

he breaks his syllables
in half, sometimes
and new sounds jut
from between his
teeth, unbidden

I listen as he wades
through word after word
as ideas meander
(on their own time)
to his throat, and make their way
out, presenting themselves
quite gracefully
in the end

and I wonder how his mouth works
when it kisses
or whether, when he writes,
he hears his voice