If You’ve Met One Autistic Person You’ve Met One Autistic Person
…..—popular saying within the ASD support community
My son’s the only person that I know
who thinks this way, who acts this way.
The boy eats three potatoes every day.
He says he wants to gain weight, wants to grow
his waist. To keep from melting down, he’ll throw
ice cubes across our yard. A game. Who plays?
My son’s the only person. That I know.
Who thinks this way? Who acts this way?
Who asks how much you weigh? How fast you’ll grow?
Who says whatever their heart says to say?
Don’t let him bend to suit the world, I pray.
Who dreams up paths where no one else can go?
My son’s the only person that I know.
by Tom C. Hunley
—from Rattle #74, Winter 2021