Saturday, May 05, 2007


My family knew that I was deaf
When I was only three,
and since then fifteen years ago
Have never signed to me.
I know when I'm around the house,
I try and use my voice,
It makes them feel more comfortable;
For me, I have no choice.
I try, communicate their way-
Uncomfortable for me.
My parents wouldn't learn sign
Ashamed or apathy?
I never cared about the sound of radios and bands;
What hurts me most is, I never heard
My parents' signing hands.

Stephen J. Bellitz, Reprinted from Senior News, July 1991

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh that just breaks my heart. To think that a parent would purposely not learn to sign because it makes them uncomfortable. Sad, oh so sad.

Lauren said...

Powerful... and sad.

Amelia Antwiler said...

I can't describe the words I just expressed. It took the breath out of me.

Wow.

.:Miss President Ashley Brankovic:. said...

I just recently found out that this poem is widely known! I didn't know that. I like this poem very much although it is heartbreaking, so I've decided to do an interpretation of this poem by Stephen J. Bellitz for my high school class :)