Star So Bright by Miller Laffoon

 

Dusky Feeling by Ruhi Khanna

 

Close the door

Cross the floor

Map the room 

Hone the broom

Water the flowers 

Plan the shower

Study the sky 

bring the sly

Create the dream

Please the team

Sing the song

Tune the prong

Cherish the day 

Trust the play

Gone is the clock

Restock your thoughts

Sun comes to inspire

Start new desires

Lose the dusky feeling

Embrace the clean living

Sophia Kapoor

 

I like to play hide and seek
With myself
As I gaze into the mirror
My dreams seem more real to me
Than the life I live
In dreams I can be me
Not pretend
To be perfect
No judgments
I close my eyes and open them again
And create a whole new world

 

Sophia loves this quote by the scholar and poet Rumi.
“Maybe you are searching among the branches for what only appears in the roots”… Rumi

Speaking Is Overrated by Jack Haynes

 

Communication is the cornerstone to autonomy and participation in life. It is a human right. It is the humane thing to listen and allow all to have a voice. I suppose the word choice of voice is more metaphorical for us nonspeakers but that doesn’t make our words any less valuable.

As a society, there is so much value placed on speech. It is used as proof of intelligence. It is a priority for many in this fast paced world. Rushing through stories with phrases like “long story short”, while the listener is too busy thinking of their response to truly listen to the speaker.

Spelling to communicate may be a long and arduous process but it forces those around us to slow down to hear our words. It allows us to be extremely intentional in our word choice and message. It allows us to communicate effectively without a  need to just fill the silence with unnecessary noise.

This is not to say that speech lacks value but it is overrated. It isn’t a requirement for communication or intelligence. Our words hold value even if they are spelled out one letter at a time. Hear us and value us even without the use of our mouths.

Living the Life I Want to Live

 By Pablo Hernandez

      My birthday is coming in November.  Finally, I will be 18. The adult world is almost at my door, and I want to be ready.  I will be getting some money and I want to open an ABLE account. Time to do things I want to do with my own money.

      I finish my high school this year too. This is an accomplishment that I am proud of when I think of all I have learned. Having my high school education was not for me, it seemed, when I was little. Learning was limited to preschool level, and I felt angry and frustrated. My mind is understanding life with more learning. 

      It hurts me to think I can't go to college,  but it is not going to be for me right now. Hungry to learn, I must get my learning food in other ways. My mom can help me work on college classes that are online and I can read about anything I want to know.

      What will life have to show me? I want to see my work help non-speakers in some way. I'll make this my new goal.

Great Hope by Joshua Greiner

I tread
Over memories
Perfectly
While people run
Getting nowhere
By themselves
I pity my friends
I'm lucky to have
My voice heard
Healing is coming
I'll be powerful force
For hope in my life
Hope is needed for autistics
Tiny me didn't have hope
Everyone needs mentors
I'm hoping to show
Real path to wonderful life
Good life doesn't mean easy
My life is hard sometimes
But it is good

Weathered Love by Aulton J. Grubbs

 

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

He was weathered by demand and

Powerful love none could deny

Each action was necessary and a devoted tie

Like the rain falling in desert sand

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

His kids; he held and carried them when lost love made them cry

His best friend, the one with the wedding band

Powerful love none could deny

Storms gather, he never wondered why,

He brushed off his blue jeans and leant a hand

He was humble, never stopping to sigh

Uncle Albert always said hi,

Like you were king of that land…

Powerful love none could deny

Powerful love none could deny

The humble man finally stopped to sigh