The following poem and story is an excerpt from the book See Us, Know Us; Profiles of Disability by Jennifer Chassman Browne, Certified Listener Poet Cohort 10 alum, forthcoming in October 2026. This book contains profiles of 30 people with disabilities. Each profile contains a portrait, a narrative biography, and an origin story and poem.
Upon stepping into these stories, readers will be captivated and feel connected. As well, they will learn so much about the lives, joys, and challenges of those living with disabilities. Readers will leave with a desire to create a world that is more accepting and inclusive; a world in which all feel that they belong.
Keith Jones
Because Keith has been in the public eye since he was young, he is comfortable claiming his identity as a black man with a disability. His disability is an integral part of his identity. That said, Keith also acknowledges that he doesn't share the totality of himself. There are elements of his life that he doesn't share. As he notes, “not everybody is entitled to your joy and pain.”
Shattered Glass
These pieces
I've been
Picking up
Are me.
I wrap them
In
A bag
For safety.
Tie them with
A ribbon.
A million
Little pieces
Of shattered glass
From one.
When nobody's
Looking,
I work
To put them
Back
Together.
See Us, Know Us; Profiles of Disability by Jennifer Chassman Browne forthcoming in October 2026.