In the depths of a chilly wood, I wandered, by others, left behind,

Before I knew I was autistic, in all seasons, a frost inside my mind,

Each word and gesture went unheard, twirling leaves in an autumn swarm,

My struggles to communicate, like snowflakes in a winter’s storm,

The world around me, each season, cold and stark, a puzzle undefined,

and I, a puzzle, but no pieces missing, existing, as a riddle of some kind,

I stumbled through these seasons, where whispers pierced the night,

The medical accused me, my family blamed me, and in shadow I took flight.

My empathy, like gentle rain in spring, became a river running free,

Yet often, a frost would freeze my soul, forming ice crystals in me.

Yet, in my heart, a glimmer shone, a warmth in the frigid haze,

Deep within, a truth emerged, flowers bloom in spring days.

Before I knew I was autistic before my soul took flight,

In silent struggles, I did dwell, in a world devoid of warmth and light.

Misunderstood, accused, and blamed, I walked a lonely shore,

Deep within, this truth did bloom, a knowing to explore.

In my element, I found strength, and grace in a language all my own,

A silent sound, in a picture, frost made on the window when I was alone.

To understand, to share the joy, the pain that others bear,

I longed for them to see my heart, beyond the distant stare.

Two souls within one mortal frame, a paradox to find,

The ‘me’ they see, the ‘me’ I am, in tandem intertwined,

If only they could glimpse the depths, the competence within,

Let go of fear, and preconceptions, and a new connection begin.

Through seasons I felt responsible for all, a burden I carried inside,

To help those burned by summer’s frost, I longed to be their guide,

Yet who’s there when my night is cold and stars refuse to shine,

To offer understanding when the frost freezes my mind?

In each season I see purpose, cold days, dark nights, a chance to renew,

to see the complexity of Frost’s design, a different point of view,

A call for empathy, a call for grace, for hearts and minds to bend,

To see with eyes that truly see, to cherish the frost as, a friend.