THEY CAME TO ENTERTAIN US

They came to entertain us…high school students from St. Augustine

They came to dance…and I have to say their dancing was anything but routine.

And they were beautiful, these students, they came in all shapes and kinds

most of them were deaf…and a few of them were blind.

I saw the joy upon their face…never once did I see fear

as they danced…and performed together…to music they could not hear.

I love to experience moments when my consciousness expands

like watching students who couldn’t hear…dance…while singing with their hands.

I love Spanish, French and Italian…romance languages not to be missed

but I wonder…is it possible to add sign language to that list.

Spanish, French and Italian are pleasing to the ears…which comes as no surprise 

but signing is the only language that’s pleasing to the eyes.

There was a point in their performance when one of the students just by chance

put his two hands out in front of me and invited me to dance…

I could hear the music playing…I even knew the song

so I threw off my inhibitions and happily went along.

I forgot, however, I have no rhythm…the best I can do is prance

but the young deaf boy was patient and he showed me how to dance.

And though he didn’t improve my rhythm…he got me dancing to the beat

and I discovered the joy of music wasn’t in my ears or the joy of dancing in my feet.

As I tried to follow his movements…as I tried desperately to keep pace

I found the joy in me that moment could be found upon my face….

We all enter this world with certain limitations as well as certain gifts

And as I sat back down in my chair it made me wonder if…

The purest joy of life…as these students so easily express

Is to never take for granted the wonders we possess.