Tuesday, 27 February 2007

Dinah Achieng's poem

Dinah Achieng of Kenya

Dinah chose to tell her story in the form of a poem, which is entitled:

(to be found at www.idcs.info)

=====

You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to “hear “ a hand
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to be a small child
In a school, in a room void of sound,
With a teacher who talks and talks and talks
And when she does come round to you
She expects you to know what she’s said?
You have to be deaf to understand

Or the teacher that thinks that to make you smart
You must first learn to talk with your voice
So mumbo jumbo with hands on your face
For hours and hours without patience or end
Until out comes a faint resembling sound
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to be curious
To thirst for knowledge you can call your own
With an inner desire that‘s sister or friend
Who looks in answer and says “never mind”
You have to be deaf to understand

What’s it like in a corner to stand
Though there is nothing you’ve done really wrong
Other than try to make use of your hands
To a silent peer to communicate
A thought that’s come to your mind all at once.
You have to be deaf to understand

What’s it like to be shouted at
When one thinks that will help you hear
Or misunderstand the words of a friend
Who is trying to make a joke clear
And you don’t get the point because he has failed
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to be laughed in the face
When you try to repeat what is said.
Just to make sure that you’ve understood,
And you find that the words were misread
And you want to cry out, “Please help me friend”
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to have to depend
On one who can hear to phone a friend,
Or place a call to a business firm
And be forced to share what is personal and
Then find out your message wasn't made clear
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to be deaf and alone
In the company of those who can hear
And you can only guess as you go along
For no one’s there with a helping hand
As you try to keep up with words and song
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like on the road of life
To meet with a stranger who opens his mouth
And speaks out a line art a rapid pace
And you can’t understand the look in his face
Because it is new and you’re lost in the race
You have to be deaf to understand

What’s it like to comprehend
Some nimble fingers that paint the scene
And make you smile and feel seen
With the “spoken word” of moving hand
That makes you part of the world at large
You have to be deaf to understand

What is it like to hear a hand?
Yes, you have to be deaf to understand.