READ the info below for today's assignment 9.10.21
Tamara's Opus by Joshua Bennett
“Tamara’s Opus”by Joshua Bennett
This emotional poem, intended for spoken word performance, captures the speaker’s experience as an older brother to a younger sister who experiences a hearing impairment. Throughout the openly personal text, the speaker illuminates the evolution of his emotions regarding his relationship to his sister. Bennett performed this piece at the White House in 2009.
This emotional poem, intended for spoken word performance, captures the speaker’s experience as an older brother to a younger sister who experiences a hearing impairment. Throughout the openly personal text, the speaker illuminates the evolution of his emotions regarding his relationship to his sister. Bennett performed this piece at the White House in 2009.
Click the Button Below for Today's Assignment!In the folder above, find your block and the document with your name. This is due by the end of the day today!
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Tamara's Opus
Tamara has never listened to hip-hop Never danced to the rhythm of raindrops or fallen asleep to a chorus of chirping crickets she has been Deaf for as long as I have been alive and ever since the day that I turned five My father has said: "Joshua. Nothing is wrong with Tamara. God just makes some people different." And at that moment those nine letters felt like hammers swung gracefully by unholy hands to shatter my stained-glass innocence into shards that could never be pieced back together or do anything more than sever the ties between my sister and I. I waited was patient numberless years anticipating the second her ears would open like lotuses and allow my sunlight sentences to seep into her insides make her remember all those conversations we must have had in Heaven back when God hand-picked us to be sibling souls centuries ago I still remember her 20th birthday readily recall my awestruck eleven-year old eyes as I watched Deaf men and women of all ages dance in unison to the vibrations of speakers booming so loud that I imagined angels chastising us for disturbing their worship with such beautiful blasphemy until you have seen a Deaf girl dance you know nothing of passion. There was a barricade between us that I never took the time to destroy never for even a moment thought to pick up a book and look up the signs for sister for family for goodbye, I will see you again some day remember the face of your little brother. It is only now I see that I was never willing to put in the extra effort to love her properly So as the only person in my family who is not fluent in sign language I have decided to take this time to apologize Tamara, I am sorry for my silence. But true love knows no frequency So I will use these hands to speak volumes that could never be contained within the boundaries of sound waves I will shout at the top of my fingertips until digits dance and relay these messages directly to your soul I know that there is no poem that can make up for all the time that we have lost but please, if you can just listen as I play you a symphony on the strings of my heart made for no other ears on this Earth but yours. |