The Gift Of A Pause – Puneet Singhal

Puneet SinghalAbout the Author: 

My name is Puneet Singh Singhal from New Delhi, India. I am a person with an undiagnosed learning disability and stammering. I see my life as the intersection of poverty, domestic violence, and multiple invisible disabilities. I am a disability activist advocating for a more inclusive and accessible society for people with different and distinct, visible and invisible disabilities. I am the founder of a non-profit called ssstart, working towards normalizing speech and communication disabilities.

When I speak,  

My words might slow,  

They might repeat,  

And take their time to show.

But in those moments,  

When my voice takes its rest,  

There’s a chance for you,  

To listen your best.

I might stutter,  

But there’s no rush,  

In the spaces between,  

You can feel the hush.

I’m not perfect,  

And I don’t need to be,  

But I have a gift,  

For those who see.

I teach the world,  

To hear with care,  

To listen deeply,  

When words hang in the air.

So when my voice,  

Takes a pause,  

Know it’s a chance,  

To hear the cause.

In my stammer,  

There’s a way to learn,  

That every word,  

Has its own turn.

Let’s listen together,  

And take it slow,  

For in each pause,  

There’s something to know.

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Comments

The Gift Of A Pause – Puneet Singhal — 18 Comments

  1. Hi Puneet,

    This such a powerful poem. It leaves so much to be interpreted and understood about the power and importance of listening.

    My favorite lines are:

    “I teach the world, To hear with care, To listen deeply, When words hang in the air.”

    And “For in each pause, There’s something to know.”

    I don’t think we who stutter have though much about the power of listening because we always (well, me anyway) thought about how we can speak without stuttering, so maybe listening always took a back seat.

    But now as listening takes a front seat, we realize the importance and power of listening and all it can teach us and our communication partners.

    Than you for your poem.

    Pam

    • Thanks, Pam. I have learned a lot from you in my journey of accepting my stutter as a verbal diversity.

  2. Hi Puneet, Thank you for gifting your beautiful poem for us all to read. I loved the words ‘To hear with care’ and ‘let’s listen together’ and how at the end, if feels like a welcoming invitation.

    • Thanks, Nic. Past few years I have dedicated quite a few time to learn the art of actively listening, and it has been a meditative effect on my life.

  3. Hi Puneet – Thank you very much for this poem, I especially liked the lines about, Every word, has it’s own turn!
    Jeff

  4. Hi Puneet, thank you for this amazing poem. It was really enjoyable and inspiring for me to read. I like how the poem talked about how pauses and stammers are a chance to hear and listen. That is a beautiful thought, thank you again for sharing!

    Juliana Chintis

  5. Hi Puneet, I really enjoyed reading your poem. I found it very intriguing reading your point of view. I really like how you brought awareness to the fact of that even if there is silence still listen to what is being said.

  6. Exactly! When I went to meetings people “woke up” when I started to speak, as they had to concentrate to listen. Interpreters love to interpret me, as they have time to translate every single word I say. And listeners get time to not just listen, but to really take in every word, and given time to think of a reply, in this fast-talking world. If they only listen. Thanks for your beautiful poem.

    Keep talking

    Anita

  7. This is such a powerful poem! I love how the poem says “But in those moments, When my voice takes its rest, There’s a chance for you, To listen your best.” The poem is so moving. Thanks for sharing!

  8. What a beautiful poem, Puneet! It expresses the importance of listening and how beautiful the pauses can be used to truly hear a person for what they are saying.

  9. Thank you for sharing your story through your poem. I particularly appreciate how you used the double meaning of “pause” in the title, “The Gift of a Pause” – it references how PWS may pause when speaking but also how the listener can take a moment to stop and listen to hear the speaker’s message. Beautifully written Puneet!

    – Caroline