|
A POEM
Some mourn that they cannot
Hear the whispery strains of
Crickets on a hot summer night,
Others the waltz of the planets
In Beethoven's Fifth or the
Throbbing conga of African drums.
Of those who can hear,
Some drown themselves in sounds
And turn their heads from the
Former's silent poetry of the body
Cleaving through air and space,
Giving birth to formless words.
The world is punctuated by
Both sides' angry shouts
Of "cochlear implants!"
"deaf president now!"
"mainstream schools!"
"equal opportunities!"
But by far the saddest noise
Is a couple weeping in the
Delivery room after they
Learn that their little baby
Is Deaf.
To all of them, I say
Come with me, join our hands,
And let us descend together
Beyond the veil of white noise
And see for ourselves what
Lies beyond the silence.
Only then can we truly listen.
Kimberley
Maryland School for the Deaf
This poem was written as an assignment
for the VHS class "Eastern and Western
Thought -- A Comparison."
Author's note: I was born Deaf into a fourth-
generation Deaf family. I currently go to
Maryland School for the Deaf, where we all use
American Sign Language. I have, through
summer programs at mainstream schools and
everyday interaction, learned a lot about the
hearing world as well.
I have to admit, sometimes I wish I could just
once hear for myself why classical music is
considered so wonderful. On the other hand,
I'm very proud of my Deaf culture and wouldn't
give it up for the world. I find myself being torn
between both worlds, and I'm not surprised if
many other Deaf people feel the same way. I also
have noticed that many hearing people don't
quite know what to think of Deaf people. While
some are willing to learn, others are downright
prejudiced against us. I decided to depict that
paradox and the futility of arguing over an
unresolvable issue in my poem.
|
