MELTDOWN

Cherry

By Linda Wigzell Cress

Mon, 29 Aug 2016
  • 2104 reads
6 comments
 

​​A child's view of his autism and epilepsy. Wheat represents BAD for him.

 

My world is wheat;

Orange, black and brown

With scary firework flashes,

And muddy like my dreams.

I try to stamp my feet -

But I'm lying down on shaking sand

Sharp brown just like my pain..

I am only small; don't understand

And so I twist and scream

Like boiling water howling down a drain,

 

Are you wheat?

Who are you?

What did you say?

No! You’re not my Nanna

You smell brown and gold:

My Nanna's green and blue.

You ARE wheat!

GO AWAY!                    

 

Teeth shut tight, lips numb,

I hear a sad tune play

On the tangled wires in my head -

Does this mean

I am just a song

Sung by my Mum?

It'll be okay

If she comes back

Before the rain

On windy waves of salty black

Sweeps me along,

And I burst my brain

And lose my green

Til all is red       

And dead.

 

Certificate U
Poetry Monthly
POETRY
Spiritual

Comments

Submitted by airyfairy on

I really like the way this explodes the popular view that people on the autistic spectrum 'don't feel' - to begin to understand how  or what they feel needs others to consider a totally different way of seeing the world.  The lack of support available, for both children and adults, and their families, is a disgrace.  Thanks for posting this, Linda.

Submitted by Linda Wigzell Cress on

I have learned so much from my autistic grandsons!  My husband thinks they are in fact the next stage of evolution. I'm not sure if they actually feel, or they learn to act as if they do. Or feel differently. But they are loved. And they have huge family support. Thanks for your comment.

Linda

Submitted by hoalarg1 on

 I particularly liked 'tangled wires in my head' as a way of expressing their confusion.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Yes, the 'tangled wires' is a useful phrase. My son 'only' had Asperger's, but such memories of agitation with mind jumping around and 'tunnel vision thinking' and inabilty to see we weren't understanding. I suppose if Airy is right and there is general thought that those on the autistic spectrum 'don't feel', it is because of the lack of bodily expression, and the lack of noticing and understanding it in others around. My son did respond as he got older to encouragement to think about what other people might be doing, feeling etc, and has become quite empathetic, and also gradually was able to look back on his early confusions and explain some of the way his mind had been travelling. You do give an insight into the turmoil, and need for a lot of calming tender loving care. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

The use of colour explains perception really boldly, here.

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Linda

My son has Aspergers, so that puts him on the Autism spectrum. He certainly had the tangled imagery you mention. I thought you wrote the poem with great thought and care.

Jean

Jean Day