You See Me, But Do You Really

I’m disabled

So I know

What it’s like to be looked at like

I’m less or not at all

You see me

But do you really?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m blind

I’m deaf

I’m mute.

I’m in a wheelchair

I’m an amputee

I’m one of many

Looked at far

To often

With little regard,

Talked down to.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

You see me

In the parking lot

Taking the handicap

Spot

But I walk

What you don’t see

Is the prosthetic

Hiding

Beneath jeans

Or the lungs

That don’t fully

Cooperate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Your quick to judge

To make assumptions

About the things

I can and cannot do

I’m in a Chair

You talk to me

Like I’m two

As if somehow

Paralyzed legs

Equal a problem

With my brain.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m mute

Not really there

Some say

Brain damaged from infancy.

But I hear

What you say

I respond to love

The same as you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I am one

Of the special ones

Down Syndrome

They say

But you won’t be

Down around me

For long

I have a language

We all should have

Love.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m Autistic

Some things take longer

And I get nervous

If things aren’t a certain

Way

But I’m a person

Not a label.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m disabled

So I know

What it’s like to be looked at like

I’m less or not at all

You see me

But do you really?

(C) Michelle R Kidwell

June.06.2020