Who We Are, Not What

This is what Autism looks like:

A pretty girl with gap teeth and long brown hair

Yelling to herself in different voices

(Reciting memories, we think) --

A lively man who paces and moves his whole frame

Wildly, with twisting hands and intense eyes

Examining his complex world --

A young woman sitting in the corner,

Rocking and staring, pressing buttons to ask

For what she wants ("Potato chips, please,").

This is what Autism looks like:

Grabbing tissues, or paper, or tissue paper

To slap between hands again and again,

Dropping the torn remains --

Drawing all the time, pencil never out of hand,

And headphones on, immersed in art

To get away from it all --

Sitting silent, all alone, playing games

Or thinking; winning chess and

Sweeping black locks out of eyes.

This is what my Autism looks like:

Thinking, but never doing, always lonely,

Wondering, as my eyes are hoary blue,

Wondering, "How on earth does this work?"