when pa was told he was going
deaf, he stared at us
i repeated our words
and he understood
ever since, pa started to list-
en to everything around him
early mornings, i'd often catch him
standing with his eyes closed, rosary beads
in hand and head tilted to his right
he'd stay
like that right in the middle
of the hallway
till the sun crept up on him
then his eyes would bunch up
and his nose, and that mole, would crinkle
it was as if he were being told
something important
and he'd smile, shake his head
mouth beautiful and walk away
and i'd stay there and wonder
what it would be like
to know that you were going deaf
and yet be able to hear
and then i would imagine
that the sun was creeping up on me
Copyright 2007 by the Tipton Poetry Journal.
All rights remain the exclusive property of the individual poet and may not be used without their permission.