I Can Jump Puddles

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.)

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