Dear Friends,

I am so excited to share the powerful words of a new poet, Eden Mesa! It is so thrilling to connect to more and more Spellers through this work. It really feels like we are a rising tide. Thank you, Eden!

Your Friend,

Danny

Want to Talk

By Eden Mesa

Want to talk to others time wants to walk with a lot of memories.
Walking makes memories appear to be a lot like dancing in a storm where people talk for you,
but you aren’t talking.

It is is a lot like a muzzle with a lot of people around
when I try to talk the words always get stuck and people think I’m illiterate.

I am literate.
I am passionate.
I am amazing.
I am wonderful.
I am pleasant.

Too many people assume the worst
People blindly make judgements all the time
Too many people always assume don’t ask, don’t make a scene.

People need patience.

Ask about all the hard things.
Ask about the good things.
Ask about the things that people might not understand.
Ask about my interests.
Ask about my goals before you make any sort of judgments.
Ask about my world.
Ask about my life.
Ask about my last moment in silence.
Ask about my thoughts and opinions.
Ask about my future.
Ask about my goals and aspirations.
Ask about autism and sensory dysregulation.

Some people allow autistics to lean on another person but we need to learn to live on our own.
Some people answer for us, so our minds get lost in their perspective sometimes.
Some people like to label nonspeakers nonthinking but need to know that isn’t true.
Some people think autism is a lifelong struggle but actually it is a life full of happiness.

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