A-r-a-c-h-n-e

In American Sign Language (ASL) gloss only

memory first what
f-a-b-r-i-c  weave thread thin thick many
weave-shimmer magic
me-jaw-drop how-how-how

memory second what
people big-mouth-talk-my-face
me born deaf why
me bother deaf not

memory third what
l-o-o-m tall big
{stripe-down up-stripe-front}
look-like door magic

me want toy regular-regular play
no-no-no
w-a-r-p favorite toy
sometimes l-o-o-m weight fun too

threads slender same-same r-e-e-d-s
me-grow-up same-same
every-day me shadow-hover weave
threads sun shine-shimmer

every-day me mistake-mistake
weave g-a-p {threads-criss-cross-open}
me learn power weight {thread horizontal}
each thread even-across-all-way

back-then me meet-other deaf not
me alone weave-weave-weave
same-old same-old bore finish
me thread divide-divide color dye different-different

me mistake-mistake again
color match-match not
me learn dream plan-plan how
color which how-long {across}

pah fun why
me dream same-same prove thread
look-like paint-paint color wow
t-a-p-e-s-t-r-y small-small cute-cute

hearing people out-there
talk-talk-talk
people rich line-up
buy-buy-buy

me earn money wow
hearing men poor show-up
want force-me marry
exploit money me-have

me {shake-head-no} stubborn
me bored-death hearing exploit enough-enough
me draw l-o-o-m design new
money have pay build

l-o-o-m new big r-o-o-m
me go-go-go mountains look-at sheep
me investigate w-o-o-l quality
choose-choose between-us-between-us-between-us

agree-agree-agree them sell w-o-o-l others not
same-same other kind thread there-there-there
me dream big-big-big draw-draw figure-figure
color thread thin thick back-and-forth

t-a-p-e-s-t-r-y big first
s-k-y dark top stars constellations exact-exact
{below-that} mountain {range-to-right}
m-o-u-n-t  o-l-y-m-p-u-s {right-there}

{below-that spread-across} water {waves}
moon {waves white-white drift}
ships fish-fish {float-here-there}
people many-see big-talk-spread finish

talk-talk that spread-spread country
deaf people there-there-there flock-down
first time me see deaf sign-sign me-jaw-drop
not gesture not lipread not need {shrug}

me happy pah real friends have
me start hire-hire deaf easy explain how
work link-together cherish why
deaf  feel equal-all pah

more-more deaf people flock-down
me set-up-set-up-set-up l-o-o-m three big
me watch-supervise mistake chastise-chastise
them learn-learn oh-oh improve

me house fancy-fancy afford can
l-e-o-n-i-d-a-s deaf  husband yes but me b-o-s-s still
me earn money not him
good man himself take-care-take-care children

us-two happy children deaf why
a-l-l family sign-sign eat-eat time fun
hearing family mother-father {brush-away}
try-try force-me guilt money {shake-head-no brush-away}

sell-sell-sell good c-o-m-m-i-s-s-i-o-n agree often
people rich show-off must before bring-home
one-day old woman pop-up walk-straight-up-me
a-l-l workers deaf except one hearing

herself  mother deaf  sign can speak can also
interpret-interpret hearing people come-up-come-up
anyway old woman walk-straight-up-me that
{nose-haughty} whew but not rich

look-me-up-down strange
me-realize herself offend why
me deaf weave-weave beat hearing a-l-l
{point-her} insist show weave-weave hers

seem herself  proud her work
bring different-different few
my-eyes-roll-around colors nice p-a-t-t-e-r-n okay
clear my work champ finish

old woman demand next day what us-two compete
weave-weave best one-day only thread kind not-matter
assistants forbidden self-only herself same
l-o-o-m-s two-bring-from-opposite-directions two-set-up

people flock-around-us watch-us-from-sides
me c-o-o-l why me-know exact vision
{fingersnap-fingersnap move-shuttle-back-forth}
l-o-o-m same body mine bond-together-strong

day-draw-on {fingersnap-fingersnap move-back-forth}
me pay-attention old woman not {hands-brush-away}
me focus mine {that-all}
sun-down me-work finish

weave-weave mine s-k-y blue cloud-cloud summer day
show three children mine play-play run-around where
tree-tree o-l-i-v-e fall-fall grass
husband {legs straight-out} sleep-sleep me-put-there fun

me look old woman work-work not finish
look-like try square-square gold green gold green
boring but not-show face of-course
herself come-over look mine stand-stand look-all-over

head-turn-look-me mouth-babble-angry
interpreter come explain me-offend god
me not-understand, you god impossible
woman all-along {body-hidden-shawl} show face clear not

woman {crouch} stand-up {shawl-pull-off}
old woman not appear young strong maybe w-a-r-r-i-o-r
me a-t-h-e-n-a! you-insult-me!
not realize expect-me work-work {substandard} reputation ruin

herself  try long time weave-weave tell-herself me best
people afraid god lie-lie tell-her wonderful
herself feel-inside maybe lie-lie them
hear-hear same-old-same-old me best talent pow

me-look jaw-drop nose-oh-no finish
sorry sorry not realize you
cut-me-off me decide you die i-n-s-e-c-t finish
her-eyes same-same fire

moment-that body mine collapse-boom
body heavy no more let-go {float-float-air}
me ghost finish me-thought me-wrong
herself not realize mistake what

not realize weave-weave s-o-u-l same-same
v-e-i-n-s mine blood thread now s-i-l-k
me small light easy float anywhere
me spin-spin-shuttle back-forth dreams

a-t-h-e-n-a dead now nothing
me-spider-weave-weave thread sew not-matter
me-teach-teach-teach children all-over
world out-there l-o-o-m ours

Source: Poetry (January 2021)