Tuesday, May 29, 2007

Another poem, yeah!!!

Here is a poem that compliments my previous blog:

Wall

This sharp clawing at the back of the neck
loneliness clutching my throat
I suffocate from the emptiness I feel alone and invisible
my friends and family
say they want to hang around me
I hear whispers of them in the breeze

I can't use my 3000 dollar lightwriter as a paperweight
a tortoise tries to crawl a race with a bullet train
the word-prediction capabilities
don't shield me from the impatient faces that tap their toes
their eyes always wander looking for the next novelty
they need patience
but my cell phone goes deathly for hours in the day
can't we just find a fiber optic way
to hook my brain to the machine
so my thoughts can be electronically voiced
over twelve-inch speakers

So we left with a clear wall
made of shards of ice and glass
I can see this barrier everyday
the sun glinting off its clear reflection
everyone acts as if it were not there
and does not see me cut my hand and feet
as I try to knock this wall down
I kick and punch until my feet and hands
are oozing with blood
I yell myself hoarse like a bullfrog
but I cannot get my family and friends to get close to me
so they really know
my dreams, thoughts, desires, and feelings
I shiver behind this clear wall
and wait for someone to notice me
wait for a chance to speak

By Lateef McLeod

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1 Comments:

At 6:29 PM, Blogger Meghan said...

Lateef, I am a Graduate student at Northern Arizona University in the Speech Pathology program. A Professor for AAC devices posted your poem to give us an idea of how it feels for people who use devices. I have a BA in Creative Writing and so in respect to both of my backgrounds, I was impressed and moved by your poem, especially the portion on the impatience. It allowed me to really think about how I pay attention and practice patience. In this world of Now, Now NOW...it is hard sometimes, but the reason I am interested in the AAC devices is becasue I know everyone with or without the ability to verbalize has something important to say. Thanks for sharing your feelings. They are very helpful to those of us who want to understand what it is like for you.

 

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