Spoken Word by Writers, Musicians and Radio Artists with Disabilities

 

Absence of routine

Slender grey lines
on jacket sleeves
that musty smell on my clothes
drool is all over me
and you think it is disgusting

“Just swallow”
you say to me
and I really do try
catch and force down
pools of drool
from coming out of my mouth
cuz I be wearing tight fits
like Rocawear jeans, bick Ecko
shirts, Gap hoodies
or fresh to def in tailor-made
suits
and drool does not go
with tailor-made suits
you know I try to look suave
24/7
so at a party I can get my
grown man on

LeRoy F. Moore Jr.

So there shouldn’t be a problem
with me swallowing, right?
Well I have to remember to
swallow
every minute
every hour
every day
that means when I roll down
the street
swallow
whenever I talk to someone
swallow
when I exercise
swallow
when I go to school
swallow
cuz I don’t want anyone to see

me drool

Beatriz Herrera (L) and Asthmatic Friend

you always say
it makes me look gross
and it is not my intention
to disgust you
so I try to swallow
like a mad man

 

 

I
(swallow)

try and
(swallow)
consciously do something
(swallow)
that everyone else

Barbara Ruth – Coming soon to Pushing Limits

(swallow)
does unconsciously
(swallow)
and you still

(swallow)
can’t understand
(swallow)
why
(swallow)
can’t I
(swallow)
learn
(swallow)
to swallow all
(swallow)

Jean Stewart. Photo by Scott Braley

the time
(swallow)
it is like
(swallow)

to toss you a tennis ball
(swallow)
telling you
(swallow)
to throw it
(swallow)
in the air and catch it

(swallow)
every 15 seconds
(swallow)
and yell at you
(swallow)
when you drop the ball

—Lateef McLeod

Lateef McLeod

Hosted and produced by Shelley Berman, Adrienne Lauby, Sheela Gunn-Cushman and Josh Elwood.