NaPoWriMo: Poem #16 Darned Dyspraxia

My dear 12 soon-to-be 13 year old son has been struggling all his life to learn simple tasks like walking without falling down. It is a physical condition related to his autism called dyspraxia. He walks pretty well now, but there are other things that he also struggles to do, but we work on them daily!

These pictures make me really happy. It was a day in Paris, summer 2017, and he was chasing pigeons. It was just him and me in the gardens at Les Invalides. He was running, bounding from spot to spot, falling, but not caring about it as he was so free just laughing and running with the birds. A family was there trying to feed the birds and annoyed with him saying all kinds of things in French about the rude American boy and why wouldn't he leave the birds alone and them in peace? I loved his loud love of life that day and was delighted to see him have so much fun running around!

Dialogue with You and that Darned Dyspraxia

Axis of worlds that turn

And pull the muscles

That slide and push

Out towards others

A lost map

To plan where

This goes or that

Foot falls splat

It turns and down

You fall with black and blue

Rising through skin

You get up and again

You go down a minute later

It is better than

When this was repeated

All day over and over

I never thought you’d walk straight

Your gait always a bounce along

Now is so strong

Still you have a distinct hop

That is a steadier lumber

You stumble much less

Though your connect

To everyday life

is often a guess

I to this day am startled

Not to see a car seat

In the back behind me

And I want to know

If you’ll conquer daily duties

That is not even a blink

To others your age

Will you dissuade your aversion

for doing for yourself?

These things that

put you on that shelf

that labels your abilities

or willingness to do more please?

You engage in so many other ways

that is not physical

The drive to engage is there

Your body is catching up

You are the right stuff

Don’t worry about the falling down

It makes those that stare frown,

But I see that you will always get up