If a poem you wish to send to me,
let it be known now, that there is no fee,
it must have a rhyme, that is the key,
or never the day light shall it see,
it need not be witty or full of glee,
so long as it does not destroy another tree,
make it a deaf issue, and send it to me.



Hearing in a deaf world
As I walked into the room,
I could feel my heart go boom,
been worrying about this since noon,
now my confidence is singing a different tune,
thank god this part will be over soon.

Feeling nervous for this first time,
having a massive learning curve to climb,
will I make sense of the rhythm and rhyme,
or will this turn out to be a pantomime.

Its not silent like I thought it would be,
I hear laughter and sounds that are new to me,
Oh my god  they all turn around as its me they see,
shall I ask for tea or simply turn and flee.

" hello " I wimpishly cry,
with a little wave for my first sign I try,
then a woman waving catches my eye,
walking to me like she's found a new toy.

Finger spelling her name I understand,
Ann welcomes me into a new land,
a place where spoken words are done with the hand,
nervously spelling out my name in the middle I stand.

Her hands now getting quicker,
Im starting to feel a lot thicker,
I think I need a slow down sticker,
I show I don't understand, not wanting to trick her.

She turns to a woman close by,
her signs are a blur, then points to me, Poor guy.
The second woman speaks, I give out a sigh,
Lynn explains she will interpret, don't be coy.

I explain I feel like Im in a foreign land,
can't speak the lingo or understand,
Would like to join the merry band,
so that maybe one day I too could speak with my hand.

Im sat down and made to feel welcome,
look at the signing and feel quite dumb,
then Im amazed I actually understand some,
now feeling quite happy and proud that I did come.

I think I'll be back next week for some more,
you can't learn this stuff from a book in a store,
this has been a good signing tour,
they really should make learning this language a law.


Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  9-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk





Deaf Club

I like to visit my local deaf club,
happy am I to pay my yearly sub,
for the deaf community it's the hub,
pity so many now prefer the pub.

The students they come to practice their hand,
its a shame at some deaf clubs they are banned,
not aloud to enter this rich deaf cultural land,
maybe they should raise up and make a stand.

We gather on Saturday to meet our good friends,
and discus the mails and faxes we send,
misunderstandings the elders cure and mend,
books and videos we exchange and lend.

The men gather round to discuss and debate,
some of it makes them angry and irate,
how so many people to this country migrate,
and how the women in a film could gyrate,
oh there's another phone starting to vibrate.

Some gather round to play a game,
happy now they made the effort and came,
they try their best to gain that short lived fame,
the losers sometimes try to shift the blame,
only to be told they are being lame,
the game not important, as winning is the real aim.

Laughter jollity is the usual scene,
I have to admit its not all clean,
we help each other when times are lean,
ready to stand when others are mean.

Deaf club, deaf club coming of age,
twenty one this year, ready to turn the next page,
planning another party that we will stage,
work hard the committee, and for no wage.

The canteen volunteers greet you with a smile,
while removing something from tin foil,
sandwiches and toasties they make by the pile,
and do it I might say, with some style,
while making enough tea to sink the nile,
never been known to make something vile.
I do love to visit this hollowed deaf soil.

Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  10-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk





Paula Garfield

I love Nina out of "Switch",
She plays the resident evil bitch,
but  I think she's a beautiful dish,
I know she's not really like that evil witch.

I love Nina who plays in "Switch",
I would help her no matter how where or which,
Marry her yea right, I wish,
god I love Nina out of "Switch".

I love nina 'corr' what a dish,
if only I could meet her and steel a kiss,
wonder if she would fancy a night out, OH pure bliss,
now the first series is over, its Nina Im starting to miss,
god I love Nina from out of "Switch".



Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  11-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk








See Hear

I like to watch the programme See Hear,
Why its on at a stupid times not clear,
at least its on for most of the year,
to miss an episode I do fear,
its repeated at a time that's queer,
which makes us all want to jeer.

I like to watch the programme See Hear,
why do the BBC leave it at the rear,
come on See Hear shift into a new gear,
then maybe a better time slot we could steer,
possibly get more hearing folks to peer,
then we can all celebrate and have a beer.

Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  12-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk













Switch

I heard last week that SWITCH may not return,
that's a terrible thing to learn,
for the next series we do yearn,
oh that makes us angry and stern,
why cant SWITCH have another turn.

Apparently it cost a lot to make a drama,
and the show hasn't got enough armour,
will we ever know what's happened to Rahmah,
and that crook who thinks he's a charmer.

To the BBC we should complain,
to tell them that their reasoning is just lame,
the next series we wish to attain,
we look forward to the next frame,
don't just leave it like a bad stain,
in deaf programmes this is the main.

For deaf issues the programme does contain,
and deaf culture does explain,
on people minds it does ingrain,
Im writing this little ditty to complain.

Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  12-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk






Hand Talk
With my hands I do talk,
makes the hearing people stop and gork,
especially when signing through town I walk,
true its difficult to talk and use a fork,
but I still get to eat all my pork.

With my fingers I can spell,
to explain the things I do well,
I do not have to yell,
but if I go to fast my fingers turn to gel,
and then I start to misspell.

With the correct hand shape ,
I can show if its a cape,
or maybe be a long drape,
a gorilla or an ape, string or even a tape.

Multi channel signs are the best,
they amalgamate all the rest,
are great for welcoming a guest,
or telling someone they are a pest,
time, no there's none left,
you also need them for the level one test.

You can explain its nothing to do with me,
or panic, panic its time to flee,
no, no its your turn to pay for tea,
such a long time since you I did see.

I do talk with my hands,
while living in these hearing lands,
no one will tie my hands with bands,
sign language is here and proudly stands.


Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  13-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk






Lazy Signs
People who have lazy signs,
and in the air make strange lines,
are their hands ties with invisible twines,
or have they been drinking different wines.

Don't complain or they will get cross,
maybe what they are saying is not all dross,
trying to understand, but I'm at a loss.

Slow them down that's the key.
ask again until you see,
I would be happy if you did that with me,
Oh it's nothing to do with your knee,
O silly me, I'm in the way of the TV.

To those who are BSL faithful,
it can be very fluent and graceful,
elegant and far from waist full,
emotions, you get a face full,
even better if the topics tasteful.

You don't have to go at a rocketing speed,
as though your galloping away on a steed,
its the mind we need to feed,
and understanding is the need,
so slow down and help us in this deed.


Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  13-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk







Would I
what would it be like to be deaf in this world,
would I be constantly outraged and fooled,
would I be left out and over ruled,
would it taint my personality, make me dulled.

Would my relatives attempt to talk to me,
or would I be someone who just makes the tea,
what would I have to do, what would be the key,
to get people to listen to and acknowledge me.

Would I prefer to be with my deaf friends,
who understand, and their support offer and lend,
isolated , alone, creating false smiles, easier to pretend,
would I turn to bad ways maybe offend,
creating wrong signals about deaf people outwardly send.

Would I get fed up with people saying hello and goodbye,
will anyone actually communicate , you know really try.
there's more chance of seeing pigs fly,
would it make me want to curl up and die.
people tend to steer away, I wonder why,
they can't catch anything, they aren't going to die,
all I ever get is hello and goodbye,
I can't answer these questions because I'm a hearing guy.


Rod Parrott - Redditch Deaf Club - written  14-12-02 ©
http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk




deaf poems at http:// www.rod-parrott.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk