A World of Silent Beauty
My world became silent after a surgery went awry,
Deafness was my imperfection
It was three years before we learned of the inept doctor’s lies
At least deafness was better than ear infections
So, I learned to observe, to read lips, and to speak
But this was all normal, to me nothing was incomplete
Living in a land full of silent beauty
I never heard the pattering of feet, or the woosh of water down the drain
The sizzle of a stove, or the sound of a laugh
The tick of a clock, or the pitter-patter of rain
But I was still happy on my behalf
While I never heard giggles, sneezes or cries,
I was still able to observe with my nose, hands and eyes
Living in a land full of silent beauty
I saw, how the snow swathes the ground in a pretty winter cloak
How a bumblebee zigs and zags visiting pretty flowers
The brilliant, bright smiles that follow a joke
The puddles of water that form during a rain shower
From tall soaring mountains to blossoms on a tree
Beauty is everywhere you can see
Living in a land full of silent beauty
I felt the fresh drops of mist on lush, emerald grass,
The chilly autumn winds whip at my hair
The deep rumbling vibrations of musicians playing brass,
The safety and warmth of a hug full of care
From the roughness of bark to the sleek coat of a horse,
Beauty is in both the soft and the coarse.
Living in a land full of silent beauty
I smelled the salty air of a warm ocean breeze,
The scent of a new book’s many white pages,
The fragrance of lavender, roses, and trees,
And the aroma of brownies that had cooked for seemingly ages
For eleven long years, this never changed,
Until something happened that was rather unexplained
Living in a land full of silent beauty
Was it even possible for hearing to be regained?
I was a girl proclaimed forever deaf and yet
Miraculously, I could hear once again
Nevertheless, deafness taught me what I’ll never forget:
One needn’t hear to live their life fully
This is my life, my experience, my story,
Living in a land full of silence, my world of beauty
Meet the author:
I was born with many ear infections and issues. When I was a newborn, I had tubes put in my ears. However, after a few months, the tubes became clogged. My parents took me to the doctor who advised surgery to remove the tubes. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to my parents, ear tubes are never supposed to be removed; they will simply fall out on their own. Nevertheless, the doctor persisted with the surgery. During the operation, my doctor removed the tubes along with both of my eardrums. He returned me to my parents and never told them of his mistake. The following year, I failed my hearing test. When my pediatrician looked at my ears, she discovered the surgeon’s horrific mistake. My parents were told that I would never hear again. For over ten years, I was considered clinically deaf. I never learned sign language because I was able to read lips and I determinedly learned how to speak. Nearly ten years passed. When I went to the doctor for another check-up, they discovered that somehow, my eardrums were regrowing. Today, my hearing is not excellent, and my eardrums are deeply scarred. Nevertheless, the fact that I even have eardrums is a miracle! God is good. I will always cherish my ability to see, touch, smell, and hear the amazing world around me– a world full of endless beauty. The poem above was inspired by my experiences.