Keep
by John Lee Clark
John Lee Clark

John Lee Clark was born deaf and became blind in adolescence. His poetry has appeared in many publications, including The Hollins Critic, Pif, Poetry, and The Seneca Review. His chapbook of poems is Suddenly Slow (Handtype Press, 2008) and he edited the anthology Deaf American Poetry (Gallaudet University Press, 2009). He is married to the deaf cartoonist Adrean Clark; they run a small press called Clerc Scar that publishes signing community literature. They live in Minnesota with their three sons.

The two coats I have belonged to two men
who died shaking. One was my uncle
who wore his coat leaning over pumpkin pies
as he brought them in from the rain.
The other was Leslie Paul Peterson
who wore his coat with I AM DEAF AND BLIND
taped to his cap, tapping in from the first of spring
to play Braille chess. They come to me still
and they keep me warm.

What do you think? Please send us your comments, including the name of the work you are commenting on.