My welcome to your world of silence

Today in our BSL class, one of the tasks was to carry out some research in the resource room at the language centre. I pulled an anthology out of Dan's pile of BSL/ASL poetry books, and found this poem, to keep and share. It comes with a video of peace exploding.

My Welcome to Your World of Silence

the birth of true communication between a mother and her deaf child 

by Elizabeth Ward

Hush is a soft caressing word, 

Silence is a quiet word in itself, 

Peace is a warm gentle word. 

I think in words, draw comfort from them,

I rage with them, I weep with them, 

I experience joy with them, disappointment with them, 

Words are my shield, my lance, my defence and my attack, 

I make friends with them, and enemies too, 

I lend a helping hand with them or accept one, 

I rebuke with them, or suffer rebuke in return, 

Words were at my birth, they accompany my life, 

Words are waiting for my death. 

But you with your mind of pictures, colours, movements. 

Where are your words? 

Your words are in your eyes, your smile, your tears, your frown. 

Your hands reach out to try to touch my words, 

I try to touch your colours; shapes I do not recognise bar my way, 

Images move but do not speak. 

I cannot see round your corners, in your hidden places. 

But out of formless shadow comes the sign, 

As out of darkness comes the dawn, 

Light bears down on the moving forms and illuminates the shades, 

They stand out sure and firm against their background of colour. 

They move - slowly - hesitantly, 

The pattern they make is softly recognised, 

My words dance with the shadows: they are understood. 

A hush begins to grow, softly, safely.
There is a silence friendly in the air.
And Peace explodes.