Deaf Christmas
(listen to the poem, read by the author)
I’m dreaming of a
Deaf Christmas,
Just like the one
I used to never hear,
Where in a living
Room, the needle
Amplifies the words
Etched in the vinyl
Record, a compilation
Of bells on bobtails
And silver bells
Hear them ring!
And angels imploring
Us to hark!
A deaf child dances
Around the living room
Smelling sugar melting
In the kitchen, trying
To hear sleigh bells
(Not in the snow)
On spinning plastic,
Sound self-
Referencing
The sounds of
Christ(mas) and
Holy(days).
Are you listening?
See this deaf child in the
Backseat of a car
Illuminated by red,
Green, and yellow
Strings of energy
Divinity in his hands
Ignoring the shimmer
Of vibrating bells,
Telling mother that
Jesus is having a picnic
In the bright yard.
Jesus is hungry and
Thirsty like he is.
Do you hear what I hear?
The radio plays quietly.
A child, a child waits for the
Needle to shift… to shift… to shift… to shift… to shift… to shift… to shift…
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About the Author
Kevin Garrison is a deaf professor of English at Angelo State University. He resides in the central spaces between Deaf World and Hearing World, and his poetry grapples with the daily challenges of being oral deaf, often with hints of religious symbolism.