Activity
They want to trap you in the flatness of their paper charts
They lay snares of straight lines
They lay snares of straight lines
and sharp corners
Because you are different
they name you with short, sharp words
they name you with short, sharp words
autistic,
A.D.D.,
hyper
They say something’s wrong
He won’t speak
He won’t speak
when spoken to,
He won’t count to five
or say his ABCs
or say his ABCs
or play with other kids his age
With pens poised above graphs they wait
‘What color is the umbrella, Alex?’
‘What color is the umbrella, Alex?’
You look through them
past the picture of the yellow umbrella
past the calm beige walls
past the calm beige walls
through time,
and space
Tattooed behind your cautious eyes is the path
through the Milky Way
through the Milky Way
In the dark of your room when I lean down to kiss you
I can still see how the stars laid themselves out
and guided you down to nestle
I can still see how the stars laid themselves out
and guided you down to nestle
under my ribs
When you were born I didn’t count fingers and toes
Instead, like momma bear, I nuzzled you
and breathed in your familiar scent
Instead, like momma bear, I nuzzled you
and breathed in your familiar scent
You smelled like new clothes and cedar
and the water from the river behind my grandfather’s house
and the water from the river behind my grandfather’s house
I touched the oblong scar on your belly
knowing then you were a gift from the spirits
What had made that mark?
knowing then you were a gift from the spirits
What had made that mark?
Musket ball?
Arrowhead?
Spear?
The woman with the clip board calls you ‘cute’ and ‘precious’
She can sense the agenda stamped on your soul
But she doesn’t have the words to articulate
so she speaks in baby talk, thinking it’s you
so she speaks in baby talk, thinking it’s you
who doesn’t understand
The nurse bends down to peer into your eyes
I want to ask her if she can see it too
But she turns away without comment
maybe the bright reason in the room has nullified the answers
that I find there
I want to ask her if she can see it too
But she turns away without comment
maybe the bright reason in the room has nullified the answers
that I find there
the same way the blinding lights of the city
wash away the path through the stars
at night