Friday, August 26, 2011

The Lesson

The Lesson
by
Darragh The Poet

Now that wasn't all that hard, was it?
Now if she just knew the half of it.

Awaken by a wrapping at my door 
Taken from me this day the norm
Stumbling  I trail along the walls  to the door
Eyes plundered from sight months before

Greetings from a teacher, from a friend, greetings from a Godsend.
Reluctance from a student, from a cripple, irritant I can't mend.
Hands shaken and accolades shared
but its for this day I am unprepared

Elbow in my hand she guides me to my chair [.]
As I trace her arm down to where my back rests fair
She tells me of my new life to come and how it shall be
But right now I can't see anything so what's the point for me

Venturing to the car as sounds creep in I hear the days battles 
What awaits for me out there but chatters
My small view on a world so expansive 
No conformation of the steps ahead of me

Sitting in her car as we travel into the depths of hell as my head begins to swirl
The window lowered while my subconscious unknowingly absorbs the speaking world
Approaching our destination from circles traveled and many stops passed
Finally coming to rest in a place no more familiar than the memories to come ever-last

I step out from the car into this new jungle, this new planet
Unfold my cane using two tap skim to fan it
Back and fourth in step to find my shoreline
Barking dogs, speeding cars, footfall of people are combined

I pause to listen to the world speak to me
As I hear a new way that is to be me
Wall of cars in the street stampeding by on the road like a herd of wild beasts 
Crossing signals chirp-ping high above on light poles like birds in the amazon singing in rain forrest trees from above.

She stands beside me and says this to me
Now that wasn't all that bad, was it?

I begin my trek through this jungle amongst the trees and wild beasts
Carving pathways and ruts to follow a path unseen
Tromping herds to my left and mountain sides on my right
And it is my dime tip telling me where to go

Pedestrians walking by in line in pace with life 
like soldiers marching to the neighboring kingdom on looking to us as though we were an oddity not to speak as to give away our obvious blindness and disability.
Rather a commodity and a new ability

Tapping sounds off sides of objects
Echoing down tunnels and off deadly cliff edges
Wind gusts breaking through openings and shadow sounds hiding in the dark
Marching soldiers gawking in awe as I alone conquer a new kingdom

An internal uprising to rebel against vision
My ears lead my feet as my cane makes  the split decision
A root exposed in the pathway and my feet graze over
Curb edges keep me in line as I carve my own path

Parking meters say hi as I pass and light poles hum their tunes
I come to the curb-cut and its domed dots of declaration
Wind of cars in stride intersected by crossing sounds of vehicles
I did it, I made it one city block I finally proclaimed this.

Now that wasn't all that hard, was it?
Now if she just knew the half of it.