People talking without speaking

I sent a poem to my mother the other day. She said she cried when she read it, as she felt someone finally understood what she experienced.

My mother, you see, has been partially deaf most of her life.


Going Deaf

No matter how she tilts her head to hear
she sees the irritation in their eyes.
She knows how they can read a small rejection,
a little judgment, in every What did you say?
So now she doesn't say What? or Come again?
She lets the syllables settle, hoping they form
some sort of shape that she might recognize.
When they don't, she smiles with everyone else,
and then whoever was talking turns to her
and says, "Break wooden coffee, don't you know?"
She pulls all she can focus into the face
to know if she ought to nod or shake her head.
In that long space her brain talks to itself.
The person may turn away as an act of mercy,
leaving her there in a room full of understanding
with nothing to cover her, neither sound nor silence.

copyright (c)1995 by Miller Williams



As I've begun to lose my own hearing, I can somewhat relate to the poem as well. I told my mother, it's a shame poetry does not have a wider audience. I think this poem would inform many people who regularly communicate (or try to) with those who struggle to hear. Maybe posting it here will in a small way help.

My mother once told me

that I had no personality.

Today, while procrastinating putting the new house in order, I took a series of very unscientific personality quizzes:

Here's the results:

Mental Age: 43 Years Old
Regardless of how old your body is, up in your head, you're paying mortgages and complaining about back pain. That's great that you're so mature, but remember: it's okay to cut loose and act young every once in a while. Do your wild side a favor and stay up past 10:00 one night this week.


Personality: The Thinker
You're smart, and you know what? You totally know it. You value brains above almost anything else, which is pretty good. (Better than valuing, say, booties). But you also tend to get cocky about your own intelligence. Keep up with the intellectual pursuits, but don't be afraid to be wrong every once in a while. Seriously - stupidity can be cute!


Naughty Sexy
Hey, there's nothing sexier than being a sex-crazed beast. Any hotties on your radar better lock their doors at night, or you'll be on 'em like a Rotweiller on a milkbone. We'll give you this: you're direct. Others may go for romance, but you figure, what's the point? Might as well cut out the middle man and go straight for the prize. And you've got a point. Knowing what you want -- and getting it -- is pretty darn hot. It wouldn't be the end of the world, though, if you threw a little romance into your routine. You know, wrap yourself in a cloud of mystery. Or at least wrap yourself in a bathrobe. Yikes!


How Will You Die?
Really Bad Shrimp. You''re not an aggressive person, and you've got a lot of good stuff going for you. None of that's gonna save you from your careless eating habits.

All in all, pretty accurate. :/