unheard

her hearing gone bad,
stuffed with the cotton
of years
and aging,
just a word or two
slips in,
a whisper, a small creek
of sound.
her eyes focus
on your lips,
wide with confusion.
trying to discern
your questions,
to no avail.
the muffled sound makes
her sit still,
appear dumb,
until you both give
up and look
elsewhere.