Poet and Artist Andrew Blitman

Andrew Blitman draws on his personal experiences with Asperger Syndrome to create poetry, essays and art that offer his unique insight and inspiration. 

 

The Autistic Voice

By Andrew Blitman                                                                                      

     

Streams of words

Flow as drops on paper

From the fountain pen,

Their source.

Communication is easy when written,

But when spoken it often feels forced.

Although I am normal on the outside

– As normal as you are,

Which is crazy to me in your own way –

I often see barriers between us,

Impenetrable as they are wide.

 

Asperger Syndrome

– Autism –

As I may have it,

Is a developmental disorder

That affects the way

People grow up

Psychologically

And neurologically.

We are, in most situations,

Completely intact intellectually.

 

The growth milestones often come delayed.

These include things like first words, walking,

And following conversations

Like ours right now,

When we are talking.

 

If you have met

One person with autism,

Then you have met

One person with autism.

 

The spectrum is a constellation of symptoms

That individuals with autism

Happen to share.

 

No two people are identical;

No two cases are the same.

Yet, for some reason,

The stereotypes of Rain Man

And Albert Einstein remain.

After all these years,

We should watch The Good Doctor again.

 

However, even though we are whole as individuals

(As are all individuals),

Many of our advocates claim that a piece of us is missing.

They do research without listening,

Speaking on our behalf

That we lack theory of mind, empathy;

That the world should be aware of us

Without desiring us or accepting us.

 

Beauty is subjective,

By nature selective.

 

For this reason,

Awareness is not what we want.

We are blue because we want something more

– Inherent dignity – from you,

To be sincerely embraced for who we are

Without having to change ourselves beyond recognition;

To receive true, authentic love

Without preexisting conditions.

 

We want to be a part of the world around us,

To be apart from the world

That stigmatizes us

And manipulates us

Because we are naive, jaded,

And neurologically different.

 

Autism is not so much a disability

As it is a difference.

It is a diagnostic label

That need not become a person’s identity,

Lest that be his or her choice.

 

It is high time we made that decision for ourselves.

The moment has come to welcome the autistic voice.

 

Read more of Andrew’s writing on his website: andrewblitman.com

Check out his artwork on FineArtAmerica.com

 

Andrew Blitman is an author, establishing himself by writing poems and essays for his WordPress site, andrewblitman.com. Andrew is also an artist and has done illustrations for all of his books and for FineArtAmerica.com.