-
To Bernard Bragg
- Gallaudet University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
205 To Bernard Bragg Out of the shadows Out of childhood dreams From Fanwood, from Gallaudet, You emerged and thrived Grew in scope and vision Into a teacher and player Into a world traveler On the world’s stage, A generous giver of your time, Attracting a widening circle of friends, With warmth and generosity Earmarking to others needed funds. You mind ever curious since birth Bereft and starving for the right words Aside from the language of the hands. You struggle for flow of words, For sentences that sing, That break through the silence Impaled on the fence of thought Bloomed when books shook your being And verbal language came with sign Each feeding the other, interlocked In thought and imagining— Oh hands magically weaving song And a tapestry of far-off places. Actor, pantomimist, teacher, author, poet Each gave you fame But none the same As your concern for fellow beings And although deaf from birth, 206 With deaf parents, deaf relatives You climbed the pinnacle of language flow And carefully tuned your mind to grow. Yours every right for pride. Surely the angels were your guide. ...