for S.F.W.
There was once
a five-and-a-half-year-old
precocious Deaf kid who
was taken to try out
for a little league baseball team.
He was among the 50 plus kids
whose daddies thought
their sons were the best.
The Deaf kid tried out for catcher
and turned out to be the best –
even his daddy thought so, too.
The coaches were quite impressed
by the Deaf kid’s abilities
to bat, catch, and throw.
The coaches gathered
to declare the choicest of the bunch.
Names of each kid were called
but the Deaf kid
who was so good
was, for sure, the catcher
for the new team
stood waiting –
knowing he was really so good.
A few times the Deaf kid’s name
was called but each time
there was no response.
A coach finally came over
asked the Deaf kid
Where’s your daddy?
The Deaf kid waved for Daddy to come.
The smiling coach said a thing or two
but there was no response –
Daddy was deaf, too!
Daddy pulled his pad and pencil
from his shirt pocket
and wrote asking the startled coach
Please write what you say…
This deaf-mute boy cannot play baseball.
By Curt Robbins