Pupils from the Royal Blind School recently showcased their incredible talent by earning recognition in the National Poetry Competition run by Young Writers.
One outstanding piece was written by Jemima, 18, who explored her personal journey with sight loss and how the Royal Blind School had helped her embrace a new way of living.
You can read Jemima's poem, Vision Beyond Sight, in full below.
When I first found out about my sight loss
I really DID feel at a loss.
I felt angry, frustrated, and very bad,
This news was indeed very sad.
But out of the darkness, there is light.
There were meetings, appointments, assessments galore,
There were days it was hard to keep my chin off the floor.
I just wanted everything to be normal,
All this talking was way too formal.
But out of the darkness, there is light.
One of the assessments was very cool,
It was at The Royal Blind School.
Lots of doubters thought I would fail,
But at the end of that day someone said I could learn braille.
But out of the darkness, there is light.
Braille became my superpower,
I worked so hard, hour after hour.
I also learned cane skills in mobility,
I love my cane, she’s called Missy.
But out of the darkness, there is light.
As time passed and my skill set grew,
I learned Independent Living Skills and Assistive Tech too.
I still had to fight despite my success,
I tell you; the system is truly a mess.
But out of the darkness, there is light.
They can’t keep me down; I’ve turned round my frown.
I have lots of new friends on whom I depend,
They’re from Haggeye, RNIB, Interest Link to name just some.
I’m learning this new life can be rather fun.
Out of the darkness and into the light,
Now I have vision beyond sight!