IntensorPoet's Deaf World of Poems

Victoria L Wilkins' Desire To Learn ASL

2008-11-25T16:30:00.000-08:00

Here is what I got from my friend, Victoria Wilkins. She is fully deaf, an oralist using bone conduction hearing aids and she also use PSE. She is successful in her life, her career life and got everything going on with her life. She grew up in her own world, the hearing world.

When I introduced her to DDPHH (Delaware Deaf Professional Happy Hour), she opened her eyes to the true Deaf World; those who use ASL really expanded her horizon. It was overwhelming for a while, but in time she finally has this inside desire as depicted in her own poem:

I long to express myself
Be free to express myself
When I have no words to say
I want to be free to express
Express what I want to say
In the ASL way.

Sometimes words escape me
There are no words to express
What I feel inside.
I want to scream!
I want to shout!
I want to be heard!

I look at the deaf and ASL
And see them express freely.
I long to do that
Express myself in the way that
I can be free
Free to be me!

-Victoria Wilkins

SEE THAT? *wave* THAT ASL, THAT THAT! ASL definitely is the GATEWAY to communicative world, a world without limits. Right now she is attending the DDPHH and other deaf events, learning ASL as she goes by. It is EVIDENT that ASL is Deaf's WAY, the artistry of communicative language! How can we dispute that since it came from inside her desire? It is the nature in making!

My First ASL Lyrics: "Must Have ASL" (2nd revision)

2008-11-19T07:40:00.000-08:00

Since my first post, I received refinements, suggestions and even PRACTICED it with musical instruments playing. I took out and added few things that seems to go into harmony with the rhythm of music. I am posting this second revision to receive final refinements before I create (or someone else) the vlog with this lyrics.

This is my attempt to compose an ASL lyrics for deaf music. I'm not proficient with "ASL Music", if you want to compose a video out of my lyrics, go for it! This lyrics is contributed to the Deaf community out of my love.

Instrumental music similar to Neal McCoy "Another Night" with no intro and ending perhaps converted to DJ style will need something different for intro/ending.

Sentence ends with these characters: , ? and !

* 2 words per sentence = 2 beats per word

* 3 words per sentence = 1 beat per word for first 2 words then 2 beats for last word

* 4 words per sentence = 1 beat each word

Must be followed STRICTLY as instructed regardless of how they should be or sounded like in English or poetic sense, we call that "ASL Poetic License"

"Must Have ASL!"

Since Deaf isolate? No way no more!

World oppress Deaf way? no must resist!

Struggle pah won, Deaf equal power!

ASL that access, Deaf our communication!

What ASL for for? That deaf way!

Language that for Deaf, Deaf that understand!

Where our imagination explode, that true express!

Deaf fight struggle, pah ASL here!

* * wait 8 beats * *

Where ASL where, yes that Deaf power!

Forever that Deaf power, their equal demand!

Deaf true their dream, that live free!

ASL forever! ASL oh yeah forever!

Must have ASL! must have ASL!

* * wait 8 beats * *

Hearing can't block us, ASL always our way!

Their ways always fail, We must excel!

Oral not understand overwhealm, SEE fingerspell eyes closed!

Another way not work, enough different ways,

ASL our true express, imagination pah free!

Deaf imagination pah free, together we explode!

sign that union together, deaf can understand!

No more opression enough! slave pah free!

* * wait 8 beats * *

Where ASL where, yes that Deaf power!

Forever that Deaf power, their equal demand!

Deaf true their dream, that live free!

ASL forever! ASL oh yeah forever!

Must have ASL! must have ASL!

* * wait 8 beats * *

Deaf pah take over! Deaf their recognize!

Hearing never understand, what ASL true mean!

That that deaf understand! Deaf can relate!

Hand that express everything, Deaf that understand!

No ASL world collapse! No ASL deaf gone!

Must have ASL! Must have ASL!

Where Deaf communicate where? That ASL way!

We must work together, ASL scatter everywhere!

* * wait 8 beats * *

Where ASL where, yes that Deaf power!

Forever that Deaf power, their equal demand!

Deaf true their dream, that live free!

ASL forever! ASL oh yeah forever!

Must have ASL! must have ASL!

** end of lyrics **

Explaining my poem: "Deborah, My Lynne"

2008-11-07T12:16:00.000-08:00

You might wonder what "Iambic Pentameter" is all about and why "Deborah, My Lynne" meant a lot to me. I have been on eternal expedition into the world of poetry, its rules, its design and all. Poem, to me, is a medium where I can vent my inner desires, frustrations and to understand and enjoy other poems as well. I learned to redefine how I do poetry and realized what true poet meant by "A poem is not a poem without metering".

What is metering? Metering is complicated for most deaf individual, because to pronounce a word in voice is often our major weakness. The definition of 'metering' from http://thefreedictionary.com is:

"The measured arrangement of words in poetry, as by accentual rhythm, syllabic quantity, or the number of syllables in a line."

Metering a word is all about accents and syllables. I am going to use the word "tomorrow" as an example in how we define metering. To pronounce "tomorrow" it is To-mor-row, which is 3 syllables. Now that is how we meter a word.

There are various types of metering i.e. trimeter, tetrameter and so on. They simply meant limited number per line, for instance, pentameter means 5 feet per line. Feet mean 2 syllables per meter and for pentameter, 10 syllables per line. For example in Sonnet 18 here is the excerpt from Shakespeare who, amongst other poets, is a master in what we call "iambic pentameter":

"Shall I compare thee to a summer's day?
Thou art more lovely and more temperate"

Now let us analyze this using scansion, the method to find metering in a line of poetry. I will separate them using the pipeline character (|) as follows:

Shall I | com-pare | thee to | a sum | -mer's day?
Thou art | more love | -ly and | more tem | -per-ate

Notice that there are two syllables in each feet separated by pipeline character? Do you notice that there are 5 feet per line? That is how we define a "pentameter". Now what about iambic? Iambic is a foot that contains an accent of non-stressed followed by stressed syllable i.e. da DUM. Now let consider this example as "iambic pentameter" where words in bold is stressed accent:

da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM | da DUM (10 syllable or 5 feet)

"da" is non-stressed and "DUM" is stressed, try pronouncing it vocally. Now let us go back to Shakespeare's Sonnet 18 verse:

Shall I | com-pare | thee to | a sum | -mer’s day? (10)
Thou art | more love | -ly and | more tem | -per-ate (10)

This point of view made me realize the importance of pronouncing a word as mentioned in most dictionary books. I started to research on how words are pronounced by asking hearing friends, they taught me to depend on dictionary books or online. Sometimes it can be tricky and having hearing friend can help a lot to practice how I redefine my poetry. So I decided to practice writing poetry by writing my wife a poem.

Ah, "Do you love me?" you say? Bleeding heart
of that I cherish doth my love impart!
Abysmal fire is burning deep within
a dream of you, O Deborah my Lynne.

An ocean billows sunny days and then,
Reflecting shiny waters back of when
our sparkling romance that our love have been!
I always love you, Deborah, my Lynne.

Now let me show you how my poem is metered:

Ah, "Do | you love | me?" you | say? Bleed | -ing heart (10)
of that | I cher | -ish doth | my love | im-part! (10)
A-bys | -mal fire | is burn | -ing deep | with-in (10)
a dream | of you, | O Deb | -o-rah | my Lynne. (10)

An o | -cean bill | -ows sun | -ny days | and then, (10)
Re-flect | -ing shi | -ny wat | -ers back | of when (10)
our spark | -ling rom | -ance that | our love | have been! (10)
I al | -ways love | you, Deb | -o-rah | my Lynne. (10)

I hope that I defined poetry in a way you can understand and to better understand poems by Shakespeare and other poets. There are also different metering i.e. trochee, dactyl, trimeter, tetrameter and so on.

Now, I wonder, what about ASL? Can we do the same way using ASL? How do we do metering in ASL? What is “non-stressed” and “stressed” of a word in ASL? Let us explore in that aspect together, creating our own poetry in ASL that CAN do metering the same way true poets do their poems!

Becoming a better spouse

2008-10-29T15:26:00.000-07:00

I've been going through a struggle with my marriage. Everyone made mistakes and end up separated. In a lot of cases, spouses on both sides tend to feel guilty for what they've done. When a separation happens, the way we live our lives tend to change, feeling the loss in support, loss in friendship and all that. Mostly, I had to do everything for myself.

Now, I've been wondering what I CAN do to become a better spouse. With normal activities going on i.e. friends coming over on weekends, making my own meals, waking up alone, watching TV alone, and not having someone's shoulder to cry on I've learned a great deal on what my spouse did. It wasn't easy, that was something that should've been done in the past.

Now, with this being said, I create this article, asking for your feedback as the opposite spouse i.e. a wife. Husbands can also participate, providing different perspectives to the other. What was your experience? What was it that you changed for the better? What are your recommendations?

As for me, I've learned that when friends came over, I have always been wondering why it was so hard for my wife to have company. When my friends came over, they were not respectful with things i.e. leaving trash around, not returning things back to where they are supposed to be, to help with laundry (typically with guys of course) and to pay more attention to her needs (because I NEED the comfort and attention right now).

I hope you would post a comment a word of encouragement, not ONLY for me, but for others as well. It might BENEFIT you as well.

I Am The Dictionary [non-metered rhymes]

2008-10-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

In ASL they fluently use, not caring about grammar,
Eloquently painting the scene, with their artistic glamor,
Animating their true intentions, using hands they flung,
Expressively use facial gestures, no voices in tongue.

With paper and pen, in whole different world,
Conveying the inner intentions, that their souls unfurl,
Stuck in their deficiency, seeking for the word,
I open my heart, their cries I heard.

I am the Dictionary, like an open book,
In ASL I reverse, various words they look,
Scanning through and through, 'Til they say "That!
that you got it, that word yes that!"

Replied I with nod, happily with a smile,
I Love to help, gleefully making them worthwhile,
Gladly conveying in paper, with pen they go,
I am the Dictionary, helping through and through.

Celestial Harmony[Non-Metered]

2008-10-29T08:09:00.000-07:00

As oceans billows by, wavering upon your shore,
You moan and your eyes closed, feeling the reverberation,
Swirling in low tune, like a piano music fading away,
Yearning inside, like harp playing long and sweet tune.

You are swaying in weakness, feeling the glow,
The song seems to come multiplying, strumming your strings,
Stroking that heavenly light, O, that you can see,
Sending waves of oceanic waters, crashing into you everywhere.

Splashing water upon dry land, hydrating your desires,
Fulfilling your long lost and fading dreams,
As waters billow by, the mist in air drifts,
They land on your face, you taste manna from heaven.

You groan, closing your eyes, feeling reverberations everywhere,
Like a piano playing intense somber theme, sending you into heaven,
Your heart beating slowly, dissipating warm blood all over,
Flowing everywhere like multiple rivers, as into delta, bleeding.

As I see tears, the tear of passion, fierce desires,
Desire that seems to sing, eternal song of universe,
The stars are everywhere in the skies, so true,
Stars in heaven seem to reach down, and bring you, up there.

Flying forever, billowing amongst the stars,
Your smile brings joy, in heavens as angels majestically sing,
Resonances that we never heard, but our hearts would understand,
Their heart, in love, at last can hear!

Musical instruments to deaf ears

2008-10-27T09:57:00.000-07:00

For most of my life, I've been wondering about what musical instruments really sounded like. I grew up feeling out the speakers analyzing the chords of drumbeats, piano, guitar and the like. I played with drums, then eventually turned into guitar, played guitar few times at Church and I love it. The problem starts when musical vibrations went into higher frequency, the sub-woofer or woofer speaker became silent. That is when I began to explore into higher frequency, i.e. harps, panpipe, harmonica and such using the mid-range and tweeter speakers.

I learned mainly when I was into electronics, the by-pass filter, which contains couple of capacitors and inductors positioned in a certain way that it filters out either high or low frequency. Those outputs then are applied to the appropriate speaker i.e. lower frequency to subwoofer or woofer and higher to mid-range and tweeter speakers. That was back when I was working on 100-in-1 project from Radio Shack when I was around 12 years old.

I also love to watch TV with speakers on my feet, call me silly, crazy or freak, whatever you want, and I don't care. I want to enjoy whatever movies have to offer. The musical instruments in the background tend to reinforce the scene that comes into play. For instance: romantic music to romance (soothing and slow music, piano, violin and such), aggressive music to dangerous encounters (upbeat with drums in lively and war-like rhythm), somber song (very slow, Orchestra style) to a funeral and the like.

Now in certain scenes i.e. looking at the field, rivers, traffic or landscapes music can be difficult for me to interpret. Could it be romantic? Can it be funeral? Can it be somber? What is it? What is it? I sometimes had to ask the hearing audience on what that music is all about, that is where I began to explore. How do we determine what type of musical theme when I "listen" to a certain song without lyrics?

Enter "Fantasia 2000" movie. That movie is nothing but animations and musical instruments. There are no lyrics, almost no climax and heavily dependent on musical instrument to "interpret" the animations. There are eight animated features in that movie and I love all of them. My favorite feature is "Pines of Rome" about a whale world, their life being altered in a supernova, being able to fly in the air. A whale calf learning to master flying in air, going through the struggle stuck in an iceberg and the migration of adult whales into high level of heavens. The music is astounding, it was played by Chicago Symphony Orchestra, and it gave me the feeling of "higher level", from sea, going up through stratosphere then finally to the edge of atmosphere, into space. That scene includes sounds of the waves of oceans, the whistling of clouds, the thunder of lightning and the heaven waves.

I often wrote poems using music on the side, a rhythm that provides me a pattern in writing. It also inspires me, control the way I read in timing and stirs up my creativity. Now with all that being said, that is how I interpret music, by musical instruments. I continue to explore in that aspect, trying to feel out and interpret the difference in higher frequencies i.e. harp, panpipe, harmonica and all. Now I would like to explore out into the deaf culture, I *KNOW* I am not alone and I am anxious to hear your input, your opinion and your experience with musical instruments.

After all, it doesn't stop us deafes to enjoy music!

Return of IntensorPoet [non-metered rhythm]

2008-10-17T10:55:00.000-07:00

Here is the poem that I wrote back in 2005; I used to use the nick 'IntensorPoet' in chat room somewhere for a short while. At that time I really had a good time, merrily chatting, sharing romantic poems and all that. For some reason I stopped using that nick and returned back to 'LinuxGold', my technical computer identity. Up to that point in 2005, I missed how I was when I was as 'IntensorPoet'; I began to miss my merry part where I was set on fire. So I decided to write my desire to return back as 'IntensorPoet' that seems to prophesy IntensorPoet's return in this blog.

This poem is written using non-metering (not a fixed number of soft/hard pronounces per line) and that it rhymes (end of each couplet that seems to rhyme) i.e. tame rhymes with came and so on.

Return of IntensorPoet

Where has IntensorPoet gone?
Vanished into drift of dying dawn?
Is flare fallen and destroyed,
Into stillness of silence and void?
Is throne of life like a feather,
Forever drifting into frozen weather?
Seeking for its master of flame,
To where troubled heart would he tame?
Behold the fire, from dead, has came!
From frozen heart to fervent flame,
For IntensorPoet has returned with ferocious fire,
To revive his girl, her heart to inspire!
No more looming sadness, O! No more!
Replenishing IntensorPoet's love with flaring galore!
Exploding into wild and tsunamic tides,
As two lovers collide into eternal glide!
Multiplying into multiple flaming stanzas,
Filled with poetic and enduring bonanza,
To where IntensorPoet echo his passionate fire,
And set his girl's intense desire afire!

A big change, changing from AbysmalPoet to IntensorPoet

2008-10-16T13:21:00.000-07:00

I decided to change my life, yes, totally changed. AbysmalPoet nick itself is negatory and somewhat depressing, so I decided to change to "IntensorPoet". I love intense things, emotions, thoughts or whatever they can be. So here is my new life, exploring the universe that we face.

I know that I've been so lost in my own world, writing poems and not caring about whether deaf audience understood them or not. I am sure you are filled with questions like "What is the reason of that poetry", "What is Dactyl Tetrameter?" and so on. Now my new objective is this, to write a poem, to explain what it is about, how it is structured and why I wrote it. That way you will be able to understand any poems that I wrote, and most of all to be able to enjoy my poems better!

Your feedback is very important for me, the more feedback I get; the more I will be able to understand you as my audience and to better explain things in my world. I look forward to this new life!

Deborah My Lynne[My first Iambic Pentameter]

2008-10-16T12:41:00.001-07:00

Ah, "Do you love me?" you say? Bleeding heart
of that I cherish doth my love impart!
Abysmal fire is burning deep within
a dream of you, O Deborah my Lynne.

An ocean billows sunny days and then,
Reflecting shiny waters back of when
our sparkling romance that our love have been!
I always love you, Deborah my Lynne.

We will miss you, Ali [Iambic Pentameter]

2008-10-16T12:40:00.000-07:00

You are our music, Ali Cooper, that
we never shall forget! We awed on what
the music can do! It excels us each,
enthralling us in all we do. So, teach
on, forging young ones true, sweet and so bright!
Departure of your presence dims our light,
ne’er will we forget your persuasive soul!
Your work is something that we shall extol!

What Is The Music? [Dactyl Tetrameter (?)]

2008-10-16T12:39:00.000-07:00

What is the music, O! ‘Tis just the melody,
Instrument playing in perfect accordance?
‘Tis a vibration so complex to follow?
Searching intensely inside soul so deeply?
Beating profoundly relaxing persona,
Soothes in one’s mind? True sound and so audaciously
Vibrating its true intention with heartfelt
echoes of treble and bass so entwined, yes
that is the music and that is the melody!