Author Information
Two Worlds
Though it is not my first language
signing is music to my eyes
hands do more than
wave hello or goodbye
there is an untapped language
waiting to mobilize the fingers
My father knows this
but did he miss hearing
the whimpers
that came from my crib,
the tiny mumbling voice
of his princess
speaking aloud
to imaginary friends?
he’s hard of hearing
but he isn’t deaf
he can read lips
but he can’t sign
unwillingly torn between
two separate worlds
two separate cultures
Did he ever wish that he belonged
to one or the other?
what would my life have been like
if those in authority,
those who made the rules
that languages had to be
heard and not seen,
had not oppressed my father’s rights
as a child?
Some hear the world with their ears
but he hears the world with his eyes
This poem deeply saddens me. :( Who can even fathom growing up like that? It msut have been so hard for him :( It's awesome that you are there for him though encouraging and helping him! Totally awesome!
~Chels
This is bittersweet,I agree with your authors comment and have run into this being in the medical field.It is a sad loss for many....
Naomi~
This poem is stunning, heartbreaking, & powerful~ I hope you've shared it with the deaf community! My daughter is learning sign language, in her homeschooling, & she's the one who chose this poem, by it's title...she loved it so much! (She wants to write a critique, too, once she's got her own poems posted...she's 9...)
Your way of expressing yourself is inspiring, & I especially was touched by the last two lines. Thanks so much for sharing this, it really moved me, & is something that should be shared everywhere possible, to help others understand.
~Anastazia~