We Deaf
We laugh when we’re happy.
We cry when we’re upset.
We cheer when we win.
We scream when we’re scared.
We yell for fun.
We shout when we’re angry.
We make noises.
Why do you call us silent?
Tell me why.
Janis Cripps, 14
Janis is partially Deaf and comes from a Deaf family. She wrote this poem because she wanted to inform those who think that Deaf persons are quiet and never noisy that they are wrong. In her words, “we do have voices and we know how to express ourselves through laughing, crying and so on.” When she wrote this poem, she felt that Deaf people were not being heard enough.
Joanne S. Cripps (2000). Quiet Journey Understanding the Rights of Deaf Children, The Ginger Press, Owen Sound, Ont. Canada, P 34