POPDB is pleased to host Scott Mallinson, a deafblind writer, as a guest blogger on various topics related to literacy, once a month until June 2025. You can find Scott's March post here. If you would like to read more of Scott’s writing, check out his blog, Happiness is for Everyone.
I am a writer. I love to write. I am someone who expresses themselves by writing. I type to communicate, but I am not talking about communication. I’m talking about writing stories, poems, blogs, etc. I have a desire to write. I write about anxiety, it makes me feel better. I write about sadness, it makes me feel better. I write about funny experiences, it makes me laugh. I write about made-up tales that are just fun to write, and I feel capable of anything. Writing makes me feel whole. When I write, the stuff in my head escapes. It needs to get out. I spent a long time working on communication. I didn’t understand that communication can go beyond basic needs. I didn’t understand that books can be entertainment. I just thought books were part of communication. I am embarrassed to say that I was probably older than I should have been when I figured this out. I just didn’t get it.
I don’t remember when I started to understand that books, movies, etc were entertainment and not just a part of a communication process. I had Experience Books that I loved, and that were part of the communication experience. The difference between types of books was lost on me, but I eventually understood. It was a relief to have this understanding. Again, I don’t know what finally gave me this understanding, but it was a surprise since I didn’t realize books could be totally made up. Oh I do feel silly admitting this, but perhaps it is something that you should understand may be confusing.
I am now a big fan of poetry, books, both fiction and nonfiction. I love how words written well can make your emotions awaken; how a line in a poem can make you cry on your happiest day, and how a short story can make you forget about your anxiety and have you laughing uncontrollably. This is why I want to write. I want to do that to people. I am so thankful to my English 10 teacher who introduced me to poetry. His awesome enthusiasm about how poetry can transform your feelings, how it makes you think and how you can express yourself with writing - it changed me. It became my obsession to learn how to write poetry, how words sound together, and how words can have such an impact. I started writing my first poem and my mind felt free. I felt amazing. I was hooked after writing that first poem.
I wrote a poem about deafblind misconceptions. I have started calling non-disabled individuals common people. They are the majority and therefore common. I don’t want to sound rude but I believe that I’m not common people; but rather, a more interesting and unique person. This is why my poem is called “deafblind and common people”.
deafblind and common people
The glistening sand
dances in the sunlight
The mysterious yet inviting ocean
dominates the landscape
rhythmic waves flow up
and roll down onto the shore
The rumbling laughter and chatter
of children echo through the air
For common people this may trigger
a recollection of a day at the beach
common people seeing me
White cane in hand,
a soundless ear drum,
assume I miss out
on the beauty of the beach
Common people I'm sorry for your
confusion
The fusion of fresh air,
hot earth and salty sea
Whisper past my nose
I breathe deeply
The unmistakable combination of aromas
permeate my senses
enticing my tongue with hidden hints of
Seaweed and coconut sunscreen
The coarse yet gentle sand
massages the bottom of my feet
The earth vibrates as the frothy wave
crashes against my legs
instantly quenching my hot skin
My feet sink down in the
salt water soaked granules
my body awareness heightened
as the sand encircles my legs
Turning my apathetic proprioceptors into
Attentive receptors
My entire being is alive
- Scott Mallinson