Stella is 2 years old. She speaks in a language that only she understands. As I listened to her, I heard the richness of her words. Pulsive sounds, like a body language. Mouth games, vocalizations, repetitions that reminded me of a faraway land I’d already crossed.
But really, what is “speaking”? It’s often said that you learn to speak.
It’s less often said that by learning to speak, you unlearn your first language.

Glossolalie is an encounter between a microphone, adults who have to be told everything, and a child.
It’s an experience that teaches us to listen beyond words, or perhaps within them.