As a child lost in a world unkind,
I stood alone, misunderstood and unseen,
With bullies and cruelty not hard to find,
Autism is hidden, my true self in between.
I couldn’t understand why the world was so mean.
Kids can be cruel, and adults can be too,
But in their ignorance, they never knew,

The battles I fought deep inside my soul,
when in shadows I stood, labeled as “weird,”
The struggles that shaped me as a fragmented whole.
A puzzle, yet, no pieces missing, I queerly appeared,
Often ridiculed, shamed or pitied, no one interfered.
No one told me, it’s okay to be unique,
To embrace the quirks that make you seek.

For in a world that craves conformity,
The majority may strive for normality,
I decided that being weird is a gift, a rarity,
But the truth is, the world rejects diversity.
no one wants to solve the puzzle, valuing uniformity.
I am a work in progress, of every colour, shade, and hue
They fear the finished picture, it might change their view.

But I won’t give up. this road is long and dark, but I am tough,
Tomorrow awaits, I have to believe, with brand-new light,
to illuminate the path, not smooth, nor straight, the journey is rough,
Maybe I’ll have my chance to shine, to embrace what’s right.
Keep going, I tell myself, and you too my friend, never lose sight,
We must be true to ourselves, for that is our greatest power,
Live in this moment, because, tomorrow our soul might flower.

We are more than the labels, or absence of, that they claim,
I’ll keep being me, you keep being you,
We are unique, with a spirit that burns with a flame,
in shades unseen, violet, orange, yellow, and blue
Embrace your weirdness, let it shine through.
Remember tomorrow, keep going, keep growing, never cease,
For in being ourselves, we find each other, we find peace.

By Salie Davis 2023