On the Grammar of Movement: Pragmatics
A conversation in silence between Her and Him.
They do not speak. They read.
I. Opening Posture
She arrives with her spine aligned, head slightly bowed. He reads reverence, or perhaps guarded strength.
He shifts his weight to his right foot. She reads uncertainty—or readiness to leave.
The opening line is carved in posture.
II. Microgestures
A blink that lasts half a breath longer.
A hand resting atop the other—not grasping, just grazing.
The way his collarbone moves as he inhales.
They are decoding punctuation marks made in tendon and skin.
Microgestures could be the “italics” or “em dash”—less about structure, more about emphasis and mood.
III. Gaze as Grammar
Her gaze drifts, then returns—intentionally slow. He reads it as a question.
He holds her gaze too long. She answers by letting her lashes lower—not as submission, but as ellipsis.
Eye contact is never just connection. It is punctuation.
Eye contact punctuates the sentence; microgestures annotate its breath.
IV. Proximity and the Unspoken Sentence
The space between them narrows, then stalls.
He places his hand behind his back. She reads restraint.
She steps sideways, not forward. He reads hesitation—or a dance.
There is grammar in how people almost touch.
V. The Pause
Silence deepens. A shared inhale.
She tilts her head—not up, not down. Just away. He doesn’t follow. He folds his fingers together.
The final sentence is an unfinished gesture.
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