You may see me,

You may know me,

But you can’t hear me.

Laughter may be good for the heart

but doesn’t the connections of humanity

grow the heart, the mind, the soul?

So put down your mobile devices

because maybe the world will still turn

if your fingers aren’t constantly typing.

Because maybe entertainment and communication

never leave your hands,

but are your hands now holding love and life

or are they holding something else entirely?

Somehow pictures the size of playing cards

can advance you in ways eye contact can’t.

And somehow the absence of physical touch

has replaced the essence of

beating hearts.

Maybe it’s better. But,

You may see me

You may know me

But you can’t hear me.

You can’t willingly live life deaf.

You can’t live life without reaching out

to touch the walls of your neighbors

and maybe lay your forehead on their stones

and feel the heat

of someone who has walked miles with you.

So put down the mobile devices.