Deaf

I am Deaf

I cannot speak

Like the Hearning people do

How will they hear me?

How will they see me?

Their spoken words bounce off my ears

Completely meaningless.

They all speak at one time

Much too fast.

I cannot read their lips.

"I"m deaf."

I try to say.

I hope it comes out right.

But they laugh and stare at me.

I cannot understand what they say,

But I don't think I want to.

They all expect me to learn their language,

Yet they reject mine.

Why?

Author's Note

Hard to be proud to be deaf when people laugh at you because your ears don't work as they should.

Reviews

[Fairy Willow]

Wow people really are ignorant. Bless you. You are perfect in your own way as am i as is anyone, eeryone has some degree of something that makes them different so people should be more considerate. I like how you have shared this and wish for you that these ignorant people will learn to be more accepting in future. :)

[Dalrymple]

People seem to make fun of differences. Those who go out of their way to learn sign language show concern and love to people without hearing.

[Viki Rachel]

Lately I've been watching "Switched at Birth" on ABC Family, and there's a deaf girl named Daphne on it. The way they communicate in sign language is something so very beautiful, and I like the way her voice sounds believe it or not.
I'm so sorry that people are so s****y to the deaf/hearing impaired community.
"They all expect me to learn their language/Yet they reject mine/Why?" That sums up the inequalities the deaf community must experience: intolerance.
Your poem should make people open their eyes. I hope that they do.

[Sam Stephens]

Awww, gee... I had no idea you had hearing problems! I'm so sorry, but yet at the same time, I think it is incredible to have such a problem as deaf, blind, etc. and to have such great talent! As for Beethoven, Ray Charles... etc. Remember that whenevr someone makes fun of you, you're talent in writing is awesome. An, one day, you could totally go far and prove those ignorant scum bags wrong. Keep up the good work!

[Tate Morgan]

You know what might help,is if you could see the voice you project in waves on a screen and see what others waves are like If you could it would be easier to understand what part of speech is different But I find most who are deaf but can speak have a very distinct sound and it is far from being unintelligible it is not hard to understand at all and like a accent it is easy to desearne the words most deaf people speak

[Tate Morgan]

My daughters best friend is deaf and so my daughter learned sign language have you always been deaf

[LanternBounty]

I love that this is so personal, because I know you. And it's not fair that hearing people are jerks to those that seem to be 'broken' or 'imperfect.' They act like deaf people weren't the way God wanted them to be. And their wrong.