Electric signals in the brain,
Neurons completing a new jigsaw.
A circuit that’s wired differently.
Not defectively, but differently.
A new recipe that’s cooked
With the same ingredients.
A new creation that’s built
With the same tools.
A new story that’s written
With the same words.
A new song that’s performed
With the same instruments.
And yet, each runner encounters the same hurdles.
Each prey has to survive all the predators.
And each student has to learn.
One’s struggles are similar, yet different,
ultimately their own.
Decorated with the acoustics of one’s voices,
bombarding internally in conjunction with
the external judgements that pollute us.
“He can’t drive a car!”
“She’ll never get married!”
“They’ll never find a job!”
“He can’t get a boyfriend!”
“She’ll never have kids!”
“Why isn’t he living on his own?”
“Does she still live with her parents?”
“They’ll never do anything worthwhile!”
“Weirdo! Weirdo! Weirdo!”
Continuing and continuing,
despite the external evidence to the contrary.
Writers, activists, artists, musicians, singers, poets,
entertainers, athletes, scientists, doctors, workers,
teachers, family-men & family-women…all of them.
All of them. Rising. Proving the naysayers wrong.
Achieving, growing, gaining, losing, rebuilding…
Like all the architects of this world.
Writing their own unique life-stories
from that first-capital letter
to the final full-stop,
A total love for life and everything in it.
A determination to be brave, loyal, brilliant & kind.
A right to be afraid, doubtful and human.
The never-ending struggle…to do the best you can.
It is the Asperger’s Argument.
The right to live.
The right to be.
By D.C. Wood (08.04.2018)