BY SAMAYA M.BERY
A shy smile, an averted gaze,
His warmth, his love, overlooked in a haze.
He yearns to reach out, to be heard,
We try, but don’t understand a word.
Repeated actions, repeated play,
He doesn’t communicate in our way.
‘On the spectrum’, he’s given this label,
Seen as less than, seen as disabled.
The twinkle in his eyes we just ignore,
Quick to judge, he’s a challenge, nothing more.
Sometimes he gets angry, frustrated, like we do,
To us, his outbursts are irrational, unreasonable too!
When he mimics sounds, we perceive him as out of control,
We neglect who he is, his heart and his soul.
Reluctant to go near, we prefer to stay away,
Locked in himself, his emotions are kept at bay.
We forsake the battle he fights, his struggle,
Declaring him as nothing but trouble.
So I watch for signs to give me a clue,
If only I could make sense, if only I knew.
I give it one more chance - I pause to connect,
And my smile, my hug, he doesn’t reject!
He may not express himself in the ways we know,
But if we choose to care, his feelings he’ll show.