EYE(Music) ASL Poetry – English Translations vt. I: "Dandelions" - Clayton Valli M Yellow flowers waving in the grass. A man notices. Angrily, he screams"DANDELIONS!" Frustrated, he pulls them out of the ground. He mows over the area until the grass is short and smooth… Then the rain comes. hen the sun touches the earth, the seed underground begins to sprout. W It grows slowly and opens wide to display another yellow flower. uring the evenings, it closes. For days, it repeats the pattern. D Open to the sun by day and closed tight through the night. oon, the yellow flower has matured to a white, circular blossom. S As it waves through the wind, a seed disconnects and blows away. One by one, the seeds begin to break away and travel. The man returns, notices the wall ball, and snatches it out of the ground. The seeds spread out and flutter away.
vt. II: “Caterpillar” - Ian Sanborn M The small caterpillar crawls out of the earth and finds a perfect tree. He wiggles his way to the massive trunk. ith a nervous gulp, he stares up at the height. W He reaches his tiny arms around the bark and pulls his way up. Determined, he slowly climbs. He finally reaches a branch and throws his silk around it. Once secure, he takes a dive and begins to sway. uickly, he wraps himself in a silk cocoon. Q Once his whole body is covered, he prepares for his long hibernation. arm and quiet, his heart pumps softly as he sleeps. W When the pupa begins to shake, the caterpillar is awakened from the vibration. He peaks his head out and lets his eyes adjust. His antennae stick straight up. He wiggles his body out of the cocoon. hile he yawns, he notices his new wings! W He glides through the air, happily enjoying the wind rushing past him.
vt. III: “Reverse” –Jeremy Lee Stone M The ground appears. The rocket descends. Exhaust smoke creeps into the engine. The rocket lands. The launch towers grind into place. One man says “It’s ready.” Another shows a gesture of confidence. A woman, worried, bites her nails.
woman, worried, bites her nails. A Another shows a gesture of confidence. One man says “It’s ready.” The launch towers grind out of place. The rocket lifts off. Exhaust smoke bursts out of the engine. The rocket ascends. The ground disappears.
vt. IV: “The Pilot and the Eagle” – Bernard Bragg M An eagle–twitching–stares at the world around him and jumps from his perch to soar through the sky, his wings gliding gracefully in the air. n the ground, a pilot secures his helmet, climbs into the cockpit, closes the hatch, and attaches his O seatbelt. He holds the throttle steady as the plane begins to rumble. The aircraft rattles as it takes off. As he ascends, the pilot spots the regal bird. he eagle flaps his wings and flies toward the plane. T The pilot banks the plane to move toward the eagle and get a better look. The pilot and the eagle fly together through the sky, like a dance. he eagle finds a new perch and lands with a soft bounce. T The plane descends, and with a sequence of stutters, returns to the ground. The pilot brings the plane to a halt, unbuckles his seatbelt, opens the hatch, steps out, and takes off his helmet. he pilot sees the eagle high up in a tree and salutes him. T The eagle gazes at the man intently and subtly nods.
vt. V: “Eye Music” – Ella Mae Lentz M Eye music… It’s the eye music of the telephone wires, like music sheets with lines That rise and quiver, and sway and lower, along with the passing of space and time. No ears needed to hear, nor any instruments to play. Eyes are the ears, and the piano and the flute are the wires, And the occasional pole is the drum “BOOM! BOOM!” Here is one, bold, wandering wire And now here are five dancing, high and low, in turns with poles. And five disappearing into one again, And then a crowd overlapping, Quickly and then slowly. So beautiful to the eye and heart. One wonders…what happens inside?