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Transcription: [00:40:13]
{SPEAKER name="Shirley Schultz (interpreter)"}
It began with a dot here and a dot there:
Alice and Gill. Both lived far away from each other.
Both grew up, cried, laughed, played, fought, grew some more.
Went to school and learned and experienced.
Their lives moving in a circle towards each other.
Closer and closer.
[00:40:31]
Then suddenly, they touched each other.
Split up, touched again, split up again, touched again and became closer.
Their lives became a ring of love bonded in a marriage.
[00:40:44]
Yes, the world turns continuously.
Time passes by continuously.
The sun rises and sets continuously.
The years pass by continuously.
Alice and Gill united in marriage continuously.
[00:41:03]
[[applause]]
[00:41:16]
{SPEAKER name="Shirley Schultz (interpreter)"}

Some people study sign language poetry have found that there are four principles that most sign poems follow. One, is balance between the hands. Meaning in every day conversation, for example, I am right handed. Most of my conversation would be using the right hand. But in poetry I use my left hand more to invent things. It seems to be more attractive to the eye and you must have a movement, flow, and choosing handshapes like fives, or ones like that and having them fit together easily. Or establishing things in space instead of pointing just anywhere and being confusing.

[00:42:06]
{SPEAKER(interpreter)"}
And the third is designing things in the air like setting that up for certain meanings and setting up another area for other meanings or like that -- you know, one above the other or...

[00:42:17]

Transcription Notes:
July 5, 1981 Deaf folklore tent Reel #3, end of section 5 ("Circle of Life" poem). Audio log: https://transcription.si.edu/view/18588/CFCH-FP-1981-7RR-0272_log_02