<html xmlns:v="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:vml" xmlns:o="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" xmlns:w="urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:word" xmlns:m="http://schemas.microsoft.com/office/2004/12/omml" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40"><head><meta http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 15 (filtered medium)"><style><!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;}
@font-face
{font-family:Calibri;
panose-1:2 15 5 2 2 2 4 3 2 4;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{margin:0in;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;}
span.EmailStyle18
{mso-style-type:personal-reply;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;
color:windowtext;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapedefaults v:ext="edit" spidmax="1026" />
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:shapelayout v:ext="edit">
<o:idmap v:ext="edit" data="1" />
</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple style='word-wrap:break-word'><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal>Barbara,<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>I think your poem is a masterpiece. It almost brought Braille back to me as it was when I could feel the dots with my fingers in jumbo braille. Let us say ten years ago when I was 82. You have written a poem about the wonder of Braille, and I wrote one about using the fingertips. I will enclose it for anyone interested.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Your poems are always so interesting and seem to push the boundaries out a little in subjects within form poetry.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Congratulations<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><a name="OLE_LINK1"></a><a name="OLE_LINK2"><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'><b>My Fingertips Braille You to Me<o:p></o:p></b></span></a></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>My warm and sensing fingertips explore<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>dots 1,3,4,5,6, the “y” for you—<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>trace tenderness awaiting what’s in store<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>when warm and sensing fingertips explore.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>My fingertips urge you to want me more.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>That lovers love with fingertips is true.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>My warm and sensing fingertips explore<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'>dots 1,3,4,5,6, the “y” for you.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'><o:p> </o:p></span></span></p><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK1'></span><span style='mso-bookmark:OLE_LINK2'></span><p class=MsoNormal style='line-height:200%'>This was published in the ASPS contest in 2010, a third place, I think.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal>Jackie.<o:p></o:p></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #E1E1E1 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal><b>From:</b> Stylist <stylist-bounces@nfbnet.org> <b>On Behalf Of </b>Barbara HAMMEL via Stylist<br><b>Sent:</b> Tuesday, November 24, 2020 12:54 PM<br><b>To:</b> stylist@nfbnet.org<br><b>Cc:</b> Barbara HAMMEL <poetlori8@msn.com><br><b>Subject:</b> [Stylist] My liking Braille poem fit yesterday's "explanation" theme<o:p></o:p></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Yesterday's theme, in my November quest to write a poem a day, was an explanation poem. It was the perfect npportunity to complete the "What I Like About Braille" poem for NFB's Education week challenge that Shelley posted about last week. Here's what I sent in. (A forewarning that it doesn't quite format correctly for you but it's supposed to end up in rhyming couples with double spaces between them.) <o:p></o:p></p></div><div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div><p class=MsoNormal><br><br><br><br><br>HERE's WHAT I LIKE ABOUT BRAILLE <br>by Barbara Hammel <br><br>A through j is like k through t <br>But the second ten add dot 3. <br><br>A through i plus a special sign <br>Become the numbers one through nine. <br><br>Some terms and symbols may have changed <br>But the same six dots get arranged <br><br>B will always be 1 and 2, <br><a href="x-apple-data-detectors://0">2-4-5-6</a> is w. <br><br>Letters are words like d for do, <br>H for have, l for like, y for you. <br><br>Contractions like and are always and <br>Android, quandary, backhand. <br><br>We use 1-4-6 in bush and shone <br>But it's shall when it stands alone.<br><br>But some in words can only appear <br>Like 3-4-5 in dare and fear. <br><br>Dot 5 before which becomes where, <br>4-5-6 before the makes their. <br><br>No matter who writes, it can be read. <br>In the dark, you can read in bed. <br><br>Braille is beautiful and who'd disagree <br>For these six dots spell literacy. <br><br><br style='-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto'><br><o:p></o:p></p><div><p class=MsoNormal>Barbara Hammel <br><br><br><br>Barbara Hammel<o:p></o:p></p></div></div></body></html>