A BLIND MAN'S BALLADS

TO SEE WITHOUT EYES BUT WITH YOUR HEART

Pepper Miller

Feb 15, 2025

---

A BLIND MAN'S BALLADS

In the heart of the square, where pigeons dare,

Sat a blind man with stories to share.

With four young souls to call his own,

He spun his tales in a melodic tone.

His fingers danced on the autoharp's strings,

As he conjured up Queens and wandering Kings.

Ballads of old, of love and strife,

Printed on paper, they sprang to life.

His daughter, fair, with a voice so sweet,

A tin cup in hand, she'd gracefully stand,

As coins would clink from a giving hand.

Together they weaved a musical spell,

Of brave knights and maidens in love's swell.

The city square, their stage so wide,

With the rhythm of life as their faithful guide.

This is how he cared for his kin,

With every verse, a meal to win.

A blind man's vision, though eyes that do not see,

It was clear as day for his family.

So let us remember the balladeer blind,

Who saw with his heart and creative mind.

In the square, his legacy rings,

A testament to the power of strings.

This is a companion poem to My Blind Grandmother. They both met at Cedar Springs School for the Blind in Spartanburg, SC, married, and raised three daughters and a son.

---

Subscribe to Pepper Miller

Launched 3 months ago

I'm an eighty-year-old white man, married to my lovely wife for 56 wonderful years. I teach two Poetry and Creative Writing classes at the Senior Action Center in Greenville, SC.