Tell us briefly about yourself.
“I am 44 years old (of Berea) and have Beals Syndrome (joint contractures). I love spending time with my friends and family. I love all animals, except snakes. I bowl with Friends Forever and am a former Special Olympics athlete. I am an advocate for people with disabilities. I am working on trying to publish “Special Poetry for Special People,” a book for and about people with disabilities. I am the founder of Deanna’s Poetic Dreams (Facebook.com/deanna.dilley). I have so far recorded myself reading 100 of my poems.”
When did you start
writing poetry?
“I officially started writing poetry for school assignments. However, I began writing poetry on a more regular basis when I was 17.”
Is writing something you
always wanted to do?
“My mom has told me I have been telling stories my whole life. Do I remember any of them? No. I remember in second or third grade, I was asked to write a poem about two alligators for Right to Read Week. That was in the early 1980s, so I doubt we still have it. Starting in second grade, I had my first pen pal through Girl Scout camp. In seventh grade, she sent me a chain letter, which was popular in the 90’s. I did not follow through but wrote to all of the girls there. One wrote back. Between junior high and high school, I had over 100 pen pals all over the USA, as well as Korea, England, Germany, and Ghana, Africa. Most were only one or two letters back and forth, but some lasted a long time. My Korean pen pal was actually through a pen pal project in sixth grade.”
Do you have a favorite poet?
“Yes. I have always loved Robert Frost. You can almost feel yourself walking through those woods and feeling the cold air on your face. I have a poem “The Path Forgotten” which I wrote based on his style. I also share my birthday with the poet E. E. Cummings.”
Do you do any other art?
If so, tell us more about that.
“I do many different arts and crafts projects at My Choice. We also go to Creative Cabana, (shopcreativecabana.com), where we do bigger projects using resin or painting. We also made heat transfer tumblers and tie-dye shirts as a couple of our first projects there. At home, I sometimes color or play with ClipArt on my computer. I occasionally play color or cross stitch by number games on my tablet.”
We are publishing the poem
“I Wish the World Knew”, tell us a little bit about writing that poem and what it means to you?
“Wow, I never had to analyze one of my own poems before. I guess “I Wish the World Knew” is my message to the non-disabled community to show them that we work just as hard, if not harder than they do, in order to get what we need and want.”
Why do you think it’s important to express yourself in the arts and poetry?
“For me, I was bullied a lot in school. I did not know how to stand up for myself. I suffer from severe depression/anxiety. Writing is the only way I can get words out that I am unable to say verbally.”
What are some of the challenges of writing?
“As any writer will tell, writer’s block and getting a book published. In school, if my junior high or high school teachers gave a specific topic to write about for a journal entry, I struggled to think of something. I have always done better when I could pick the topic or style I wanted.”
What advice would you give others who are also working on their art and poetry?
“It may sound cliché, but always follow your dreams. Adjust them if needed. As a 12 to 16-year-old, I wanted to be a “famous children’s author.” By age 17, I realized that my more adult poetry was much better. About 10 years later, I would discover Voicesnet.com, a site developed for amateur writers and poets. I liked this site because I could get feedback on my poems and learn how to improve. I had posted at least 400 poems on the site. Voicesnet.com shut down a couple of years ago, but I am sure you can still find a few of my poems out there.”
I Wish the World Knew
By Deanna C. Dilley
I wish the world knew
the struggles disabled people go through.
Some people think
everything is handed to us
and we are all helpless.
They just don’t understand.
I wish the world knew
the feelings that we all share.
Disabled or not,
we can all feel sad and lonely at times.
We all feel joy and happiness too.
Some people need to open their eyes.
I wish the world knew
that we can do anything they can do.
Yes, we may need extra help,
but that doesn’t stop us from trying our best.
Please take the time to lend a hand.
I wish the world knew
that no two people are exactly the same.
Wheelchairs, walkers and crutches,
glasses, white canes, and hearing aids
don’t define who we are.
They just make us a little more unique.
