Only a few of my friends know that I use to write poems, well not really poems, more like song lyrics without any music. I started doing this many years ago, and continued to do it because it became a way to help me examine my feelings and it helped me in making decisions as I went through life. It was sort of like having a diary or keeping a journal that would allow me to see where I had been and it helped me to make decisions about where I should go from there. I started writing when I was 19 years old, and did so a little bit nearly everyday for a couple of years, and then I began only writing when I had something specific to say. My writing continued pretty regularly from 1969 through 1980. Between 1981 and 1985 I only wrote four songs, and then I never wrote another one until 2012. In 2012, I found the old notebooks that I had kept hand-written copies of every song I had ever written. I eventually retyped some of the better ones for storage in my computer, and after a 27 year break, I started writing again. I have written a couple dozen songs since then, and find that I still enjoy doing it when I have the time. I have never shared my songs publicly, and only a few close friends and family members have ever read anything that I have written, but I hope to share a few of these songs with my Facebook friends, at least until one of you begs me to stop posting them. The first song that I would like to share with you is called Soft-Spoken Child. It not the best written piece that Ive ever written, but it has a special meaning for me. It was written in 1973, and the real soft-spoken child was a teenage girl who was about 15 years old at that time. Her real name was (is) Janette Davis, and Janette had an intellectual disability. At that time, (the early 70s) that meant that she was described as mentally retarded. Janettes school class visited my college class for a square dancing demonstration. I was majoring in Recreation and Leisure Services at San Jose State University at the time. Janettes class did their demonstration, and then we were asked to dance with them. Janette and her disabled classmates did square dancing nearly every day, but nobody in my class knew what we were doing. We looked awkward and confused, while Janette and her classmates looked great. I guess there was a lesson in there for us somewhere, but that lesson is really not important right now. What is important is that I had a chance to get to know Janette a little bit. I remember that she had blonde hair and pretty blue eyes, but I could not see her eyes much as she was uncomfortable with direct eye contact. Aside from that she was very high functioning. What struck me during our brief encounter was that her environment was really restricting and limiting for her. I felt that she had much more potential than she may ever have an opportunity to develop. My encounter with Janette, and what I saw as her lack of opportunity to maximize her potential, was heavily on my mind for most of the next few weeks, until I finally wrote Soft0Spoken Child. The reason that this song is so important to me is that at the time that I wrote it, I had no idea that I would end up with a career of over 30 years working to be sure that people like Janette are able to gain independence by learning the skills necessary to use public transit independently to access community programs, jobs, and a full social life in Sacramento and in many other cities all over the country. One other point that I would like to make is the song title: Soft-Spoken Child is a totally inappropriate title now days. It would be considered offensive to many people with disabilities to be compared with a child or being child-like. Again, this song was written in 1973, when we didnt know any better. Here is the song I wrote about Janette... Soft-Spoken Child Soft-spoken child, living your life in shades of gray Reach out to me today With eyes that have known the darkness, that only you can know The mirror that is your face Reflects the loneliness that you embrace And collects the dreams that you must chase In tears, that gently drops from your pretty blue eyes Now I think Im wise To the world youve always knew To the life that was set for you, and the path you must follow through Id like to set you free If only I knew the way Perhaps, I will someday Soft-spoken child, with silent symphonies somewhere within, Swirling sounds never to begin Are lost in Janettes mind of waltzing song Where do you belong? For morning comes and morning goes And your face remains among the shadows And lost amid the darkness in the skies Now I think Im wise To the world youve always knew To the life that was set for you And the path you must follow through Id like to set you free If I only knew the way, Perhaps, I will someday For I feel that I understand you In a way that Ive never knew And when I see that delicate smile Upon the lips of the soft-spoken child I know that you can take your life, and live as other people do, But this world will not let you, Janette Cause some people just dont see you, in the same light as I do Soft-spoken child, thought of as alive, but not really living; Others are blind to the sunshine that youre giving They turn their backs on a world they do not understand And you become a jewel lost amid the sand Healthy people with healthy minds Will close their eyes a thousand times Before they will let themselves really see. Now you know that I disagree With the world youve always knew; With the life that was set for you And the path you must follow through Id like to set you free If I only knew the way Perhaps. I will someday
Posted on: Sat, 22 Mar 2014 18:13:32 +0000
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