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The Best World
(A poem created and performed in American Sign Language)

Note: American Sign Language is a visually basd language that has its own unique ruels and structure; it is not simply a signed representatoin of English. ASL poetry uses vsual patterns (such as repeated handshape, movement, or sign location) to create rhyme and rythm. Because the poetic qualiites of an ASL poem are visual, a written translatioin does not quite capture the poem's essence. The poet has summariezed his poem.

The poet opens with a glimpse into a polluted world, filled with the decay of withered grass, hazy skies an despair. Peeling off the layer of this ruined world, he captures a glimpse of beauty of the life where the sun shines and the grass waves in the breeze. The animals feed off of the earth's bounty and live in harmony in this world. It is the vision of this poet to emulate that view today.

Juan Diilard, age 12
Livermore, CA
California School for the Deaf (Fremont)
Teachers: Vanessa Sandez/Heidi Burns/Kelia Classen