Speech Surfer

Jane Muir

First words at 6.
By 12, he said he liked the word ‘shore’ -
it was a lonely word, and 
made him think of waves
breaking at the seaside.

Adolescence - the words might flow - 
his voice now deep and rich,
breath like the tide
graciously, generously gliding
along the beach, reaching for 
new marks of self expression.

At other times, breathing strained
by inner tension,
anxiety of meeting expectations,
despair at a lousy listener -
sounds break too soon,
like the tide sucking at pebbles.

He grimaces, 
tight with effort,
fists clenched,
body arched.
A wail of despair.

Dry seaweed of incomprehension.

The Science

People assume that someone who cannot speak clearly also has a learning disability, but this is not always the case. Speech Dysarthria is where the muscles used for speaking are weak, or jump between high and low tone, which can be caused by conditions that damage your brain or nerves. There are certain sounds that are just too difficult to make, and emotion also affects tension in the body which in turn affects the muscles used for speech.

The Poet

Jane Muir has spent the last 33 years caring for her son, who has severe Cerebral Palsy, affecting his muscles and therefore his speech. She worked over the years as a teacher, writer and in publishing, as well as voluntary work with asylum speakers. She was told by speech therapists that her son would ‘never speak’, and is proud that she has enabled him to express himself fluently both in speech and in writing - even if others can find it very difficult to understand what he is saying.

Next poem: The Love Calls Of Cells by Janis Anne Rader