I am writing a "poem" that I am trying to do in my best ASL form for my beginning ASL class. I will share it here with all of you in its conceptual form.
A baby in my belly. It's my third time.
I am not afraid.
I know what I am doing
When the baby cries I sing
When I go out of the babies sight I keep
talking so she knows I am still here.
When she was born we were so happy
She was so little and warm and perfect
but then the Dr. said, there is something wrong
Your baby is deaf.
How? Why? No one knew.
In my heart I felt it is my fault
I wasn't careful enough while I was pregnant.
Now what do I do? I can't sing to her
or talk to her from the other room. She won't hear
my quiet "Shh" "Shh"
I will have to learn to comfort her in her own language - touch.
I will use singing hands instead of lullabies.
A playful face instead of silly voices.
I will hold her asleep on my chest so she can
feel me breath even if she can't hear me whisper.
Teaching her to talk with her hands
I will sit her on my lap - her little hands held
by my big ones. Signing on her body "mommy loves
me" "mommy loves me".
I will love her in her language which is becoming mine.
The Doctor was wrong though
My baby girl is perfect
Deaf is NOT wrong.
A baby in my belly. It's my third time.
I am not afraid.
I know what I am doing
When the baby cries I sing
When I go out of the babies sight I keep
talking so she knows I am still here.
When she was born we were so happy
She was so little and warm and perfect
but then the Dr. said, there is something wrong
Your baby is deaf.
How? Why? No one knew.
In my heart I felt it is my fault
I wasn't careful enough while I was pregnant.
Now what do I do? I can't sing to her
or talk to her from the other room. She won't hear
my quiet "Shh" "Shh"
I will have to learn to comfort her in her own language - touch.
I will use singing hands instead of lullabies.
A playful face instead of silly voices.
I will hold her asleep on my chest so she can
feel me breath even if she can't hear me whisper.
Teaching her to talk with her hands
I will sit her on my lap - her little hands held
by my big ones. Signing on her body "mommy loves
me" "mommy loves me".
I will love her in her language which is becoming mine.
The Doctor was wrong though
My baby girl is perfect
Deaf is NOT wrong.
