Quiet

A poetry slam is a contest for poets. During a big slam, hundreds of poets take the stage. They use their voices to compete. Sometimes, they yell and shout. But Aneta Brodski performs her poems in a different way. Aneta is deaf. She does not use her voice to communicate. Instead, she uses American Sign Language (ASL). ASL uses gestures to communicate visually. It has many components. Facial expressions are one component. Movements — such as shrugging one's shoulders — are another component. ASL is full of images, which makes it perfect for poetry. Aneta teams up with Tahani Salah for a poetry slam. Like Aneta, Tahani is a poet. But unlike Aneta, Tahani is hearing. Aneta and Tahani are different in another way, too. Aneta is from Israel. Tahani is Palestinian American. Together, Aneta and Tahani performed on stage. They had worked hard for weeks. They gave a powerful performance. The crowd's applause was loud!