Fight? Flight? Freeze? Fawn?
Invisible? Your taunting snipes would suggest otherwise.
What month are we in What day are we on?
I expend every ounce of Energy, every megaton Just trying to “keep up,” “be strong”
Going through the motions Saying scripted words Yet, they can smell the fear
Coming off me in waves Even through the phone Maybe a few black-and-white words Blinking on a screen Atop a lap in a coffee shop
Where others see wide-open doors I am desperately trying to get A glimpse at life Standing on tiptoes Peering Through a dingy old peephole
I’ve given mountains of evidence Used a clear, firm voice It never seems to be enough I’m tossed aside Haughty laughter ringing In my ears, as I’m kicked and Trodden on the road
My pleading voice and Teary eyes are like a Passing light breeze Every begging gesture Bounces right off Hardened hearts and Steely gazes
No matter how far How fast I let myself roll downhill I still hear that japing trill Feel the hot breath on my Knotted shoulder
So hot it ignites my sparkling wick Quickly counting down Till the explosion of my Carefully crafted, serene facade
K.B. Silver
American Writer
People with invisible disabilities are often told not to use their disability as an excuse not to do things or, in some cases, not to use it as an excuse for the symptoms of their disabling condition. A paralyzed person using a wheelchair isn’t using paralyzation as an excuse not to walk and their mobility aid as a crutch to be lazy, are they?
A blind person isn’t likely to be accused of using blindness as an excuse not to see, but people with chronic illnesses are charged with using fatigue as an excuse to get out of going places, even places planned for months and already paid to go. People with limited but not a complete lack of mobility are harassed for using mobility aids when necessary, are called lazy, etc… Autistic people are mercilessly bullied for their communication differences when that is the chief characteristic of the condition. It is a communication disability.
Also, while I am on this topic, eating food is not a “special need.” Moving around freely is not a “special need,” and if you have been convinced that having access to the basic necessities of life is a “special need,” then you need to rethink some things. Denying people with invisible disabilities the accommodations they require to live is equally as bad and as foolish as tossing a paralyzed person out of their wheelchair and insisting they just walk already.