Sophie's World

 by Sophia Kapoor

When I was little I had so many questions

Will I sing or hear the sound of my voice

Will I sound musical or deep

What is being happy like

Is it a fleeting moment only

What matters is is the days go on

Night falls after the day

Snow falls after the sun

Whatever will be will be

I dream a little dream

I wish a little wish

My make believe perfect world

Is quite comforting to me

I wonder why I dream and believe

My dreams my dreams

I never understand what they mean

My dreams they keep me sane

Of a life without pain

I like to dream in the sky

And will keep dreaming as life passes me by...

A Little Boy Begins to Learn by Pablo Hernandez

 

Pablo is a loving autistic boy, who wishes that many non-speakers had a chance to learn.

This is the story, from my memory, of when I saw a great RPM teacher, Jackie Dorshorst, for the first time. I was six and starting to believe that I would not have a future, but she helped me love my future.

The little autistic boy felt happy. He was always glad to learn and his mom told him that he was having a lesson. Games can be good, but he couldn’t play most games because he had a mouth that would not form the words. Thinking for a while, he wondered how the teacher would act. Would she get mad? Would she make the same mistake that all teachers made – thinking that he did not want to learn or that he did not understand?

Happy thoughts fed themselves with many hopes that Jackie had for Pablo. Getting moving and getting happy can gather more momentum to make this work.

A little boy, calmed my his mother, rang the doorbell. A door swung open to reveal the calm, happy teacher waiting for them. She took them upstairs to a small room to begin. Cameras were set and paper was taken out to tell the story that she would tell him. Her voice was beautiful, having the sound of compassion.

At the same time, the dream was beginning. He thought that this might actually work. She told him a story. It was around Thanksgiving and she told stories about the Pilgrims. Autism was calling the boy to stim, to make sounds, to stand up. The teacher stuck to her lesson, understanding that the boy was still hearing her. She asked a question and wrote two choices. The much-too-scared boy thought he had really messed up. He tried to say the answer, but the wrong word flew through the air. All of his hopes were sailing out of him on the sound waves that held the wrong answer. He looked at his teacher, expecting her to make that mouth that tells you she has happy thoughts, while her eyes tell you she is frustrated, but sitting in her chair, all he saw was determination. She continued to tell the story.

Able to calm down a little, the little learner again tried to answer with his finger and not with his tricky mouth. The learning felt good. The lessons continued for years. A long time passed and the little learner became a writer.

J. Haynes

 It is about me trying to control my body. I won't give up.

Broken, falling, drowning, lost.
I'll keep giving all I’ve got.
Just let me have some control.
I don't want to fight this battle.
I would rather compromise.
Some kind of solution would be nice.
You continually betray me
with your unpredictability
I’m begging you to listen to me
I long to control you, my body.

J. Haynes

Brielle Stewart Violin Concerto No. 1 in D. Dorian

 Violin Concerto No. 1 in D. Dorian - Christ in Creation debuted December 27th, 2021 at an Inclusive Christmas Mass. These are my words to the world on my stunning work. 

About Me:

I’m Brielle Stewart. Non-speaking is what you call my wound. Now I am able to communicate. I use a board where I point to letters or a loving keyboard. So happy my music teacher, Laura Nadine Dooley, designed a board with musical notation on it. I began composing immediately. You see, music is my loving first language. Sounds made sense to me long before language did. No one taught me music theory. I was born with it in my soul. So really, God is my teacher. Thank you righteous musicians playing my music. You kindly set sounds free. Now make God happy.  Sing his praises with your gifts. 

About The Concerto:

Happily, I wrote this concerto in 2021. Now I make it my stunning Communion Meditation.  The idea started in conversation with my stunning Aulton Grubbs. He wrote gorgeous poetry that made me reflect on my life. God is in His creation.  I hear creation sing His praises. He calls us to Mass to do the same. He is in the host. He is in the wine. He is in the loving souls who eat the bread of life. I give my voice in praise with this work. 

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=BmJZfNl2FcY