I
CAN JUMP PUDDLES
by Hugh and
Tony Williams
Every day she
moves me
Steadily improves
me
Step by step
she helps this body
Do the things
it could
She never
sees me labelled
Young and
disabled
Sometimes
she holds me in her arms
Like any mother
would
And we don't
need your tears
We don't need
to hear you cry
I can't run
like other children
But we have
some laughs when i try
Book, chapter
and pages
Triumph comes
in stages
Step by precious
step i count
The things
that I can do
Now I can
jump puddles, can you?
Out the door
and through the hall
Outside to
the garden wall
On a good
day I can make them all
Watch me as
I do
Across the
floor and in a chair
One step,
two step, up the stair
Climbing mountains
everywhere
'Cos I can
do that too
Through the
window I see people
Running one
by one
Racing from
the showers
But then I
smile when they come
Everywhere
there are places
With empty
hearts and faces
Maybe they
don't have the joy
Of things
that I can do
Now I can
jump puddles, can you?
In streets
and parks and places
There are
staring eyes and faces
I know that
she sees them
But together
we don't care
Every road
and avenue
There's something
in it, something new
We can go
exploring through
A new world
every day
'Cos I can
ride a spaceship
Or engine
on the line
I can be a
cowboy fighting indians any time
And when we've
sailed the big lagoon
Fought the
rains of the big monsoon
In the desserted
streets of the afternoon
Watch what
I can do
'Cos I can
jump puddles, can you?
(I heard this song some years ago on BBC Radio 2's "Folk on 2". It is by Hugh and Tony Williams, the title and the inspiration apparently comes from a book by Allan Marshall, a disabled youngster in the 20s and 30s. Unfortunatly that is all I know about this song, if you know of these artists, or any other info please contact me at dawn@detour.force9.co.uk. I was at my lowest point when I heard this song and it helped me a great dealt, it seemed to express so much of how I felt especially the second verse. It continues to inspire me to this day, as I take joy in the little things I can do, instead of the things I can't.)