Some deaf/Deaf Poetry

I didn't post about deaf heroes yesterday. There are plenty, but I have poetry on my mind. I've blogged about deaf artists, athletes, politicians, and scientists. No Authors. Though on the side of my blog I've listed some books written by and about deaf people. "Talk, Talk" was a great thriller, by the way! I haven't gotten to most of the others yet because I've been side-tracked with other stuff. This week I felt like blogging about poetry, just cause I like it. I found the first three on Jamie Berke's page.


I loved this one by Sheri Birnbaum Dennis--

"The Loud Lips of Life"

Sitting here…

watching my trees dance to the muted tune of a breeze
two birds lovingly wing their way through the sun-glistening evergreen
as a hummingbird stands on the wind for a Santa-red drink from its feeder.
squirrels play tag on the sculptured-brown forest carpet
while hundreds of bugs dance in the conical warm sun.
here I sit surrounded by my four cats
who occasionally open their mouths as if to say they're enjoying the view.


Life is signing to me for
there is no gentle whooosh of air through the trees,
or flipflipflipflip of the birds as they move through the air,
or the HUMMMM of the humming bird's singing wings,
or BUZZZZ of a congregation of bugs.

Where is that resounding crr-uunnch of dry-crisp wintery leaves being trampled on by squirrels?


I'm learning to read the Lips of Life.


I really feel like I'm learning to read the lips of life the more deaf I become. I think I'm going to have this next one FRAMED. I LOVE it!!


"What Did You Say By Reba Orton"

Huh? Hmm? Eh? What?
Give that another shot.
What was that?
I missed that.
Repeat that.
I didn’t get that.
I beg your pardon, say that again.
I’m sorry, run that by me again.
Speak louder, speak slower.
Excuse me? Pardon me?
I couldn’t hear you,I can’t hear you.
I didn’t hear you, I don’t understand you.

This one's beautiful.

"The Sound of Sunlight by Anna M. Stott"


Though the silence never ends

I can hearI can hear:

A dove in flight


The sound of sunlight


Trees dancing without wind


Stars twinkling in the night


The flowers sweet songs


The moon's soft spirte


My loves delight.


Though the silence never ends


I can hearI can hear:


All the worlds words
All the lies
All the laughter
And all the the cries
All the songs
And every sigh...
I can hear.

Sometimes what you see is too beautiful for sound. Next--there's this poingnant poem.

Brother Harold

"Brother Harold was a deaf man,"

Said the preacher with a tear,

"But today he's up in heaven,
And today he can hear.
"Brother Harold could not speak,

So he talked with his hands,

But today he speaks with God,
And at last, God understands.
"Brother Harold was a sinner,

Like the rest of us," he screamed.

But no longer is he silent,
For his sins have been redeemed."
And the people in the chapel

Who prayed for his soul

Rejoiced at the conviction
That Harold was now whole.
But as I sat among the mourners

And recalled the Dad I knew

I asked myself the question:
"Is this message really true?
"Are deaf folks simply hearing folks

Whose ears do not perform?

Are women just like men
Except for function and for form?
"Are black folks just like white folks

But for the color of their skin?

Are all of us the same
If we but look deep within?
"Or is each of us unique

In what we are and what we give?

Aren't our differences our strengths?"
Let me share what I believe.
I believe if there's a heaven

It's a place not so very far

Where our differences are valued
And we're accepted as we are.
And I believe if there's a God.

He or She understands,

For He listens with his heart,
And he talks with his hands.

- Robert Ingram


Yeah-- God talks to me without words even now.

And finally-- I LOVED this-- which maybe some of you have already seen. But this is what I LOVE about ASL. You can't do this kind of poetry with words. It's like dancing with hands. I'm not even sure how to decribe this, except to say -- AWESOME.