My Eyes are My Ears
A poem by Gloria M. Matthews
Every day, I worry about “fitting in”.
Every day, I wonder about whether I’ll be accepted for just being me or
would someone try to change me to “fit in” more with their “groups”?
If you could only see,
see what I see.
Your actions, words, and body language
tells me enough to know…
How you feel and what you think.
Don’t you know, my eyes are my ears?
Don’t you know, I can tell when one is not being fully honest?
Don’t you know, I can tell you secretly wish I could hear so that it would be easier on you and everyone else?
Don’t you know, my eyes are my ears?
Every day, I walk with my head held high.
Every day, I do my very best to stay positive.
Yet, deep down on some days, I want to scream and curse out people who have the worst possible misunderstanding of what’s it is like to be hard of hearing and/or deaf.
Don’t they understand my eyes are my ears?
I guess they don’t.
Yet, some wonder why I walked away.
Don’t you know I’m tired?
Don’t you know, every day I gotta deal with misinformed individuals?
Don’t you know, their attitude is expressed through body language?
Don’t you know, my eyes are my ears?
I see it all.
I don’t ask for help all the time. So?
I want to be my own person.
My own voice. MINE!
I want to be able to speak for myself!
Just because of my hearing loss,
I’m not any more or less of a person,
I’m still whole, just with a challenge.
I see all things.
I read all things.
I visualize all things.
My eyes are my ears.
It is not my pride.
It is my independence that I love the most.
It is my confident ability to actually take time to be a GOOD LISTENER.
It is my confident ability to actually be patience.
It is my confident ability to do my BEST to understand the 5 W’s and the How.
My eyes are my ears.
So please, don’t feel sorry or pity for me.
Understand, I know the concerns well.
But, I’m a big girl now.
I’m strong.
Yet, I also acknowledge I’m also human.
I also know, I’m allowed to feel.
I’m allowed to be heard and be able to express myself with my own words.
Don’t you know now, my eyes are my ears?
Do you understand now, that my eyes are my ears?