Arts & Culture, Open Mic

Open Mic: A World Of Silent Beauty by Anonymous

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. 

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