Speechless

She is a not too
Unattractive woman
In rehab locked up until
Doctors allow us to leave,
Working to restore ourselves
To roughly template abilities but
Each a unique case and in her case
Recovery from a stroke as she is
Both deaf and dumb sitting in
The eating area reading so I
Ask her what she reads by
Tapping on her table she
Responds by showing
Me a novel by Nora
Roberts so I write
A note that I am
More fond of
Nora Ephron
And she
Smiles.
Many weeks
Later I am sitting
Alone as always in
A corner reading over
Supper when she sits across
From me with her book and I say good evening and she looks at
Me and says she also likes
Nora Ephron and I wonder
If she has recovered her
Hearing and speech
But realize she
Never lost
Them
But
Decided
The instant
She met me
It was safer to
Avoid temptation
To discuss literary
Compulsions in
Such a place
As rehab so
I wonder
Why
Now she
Speaks and
Hears but the
Chance to have
A good conversation
Is too precious
To pass up
In rehab
So we
Make
Friends
And she
Leaves me
Speechless.