Why Is That a Bad Thing? A Poem About Masking

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JosetteJoy
Tufted Titmouse
Tufted Titmouse

Joined: 9 Dec 2023
Age: 18
Gender: Female
Posts: 48
Location: Arizona

09 Aug 2024, 1:05 am

I wrote a poem/song to help me articulate my experience with masking. It's about when my family and friends criticize me because of my special interest in Studio C. What do you guys think?

Why Is That a Bad Thing?


In a world
Where emotions are suppressed
In a world
Where people are depressed
I don't get
Why people get upset
When I show
My excitement expressed

This subject
That I love so dear
It shouldn't
Come with any fear

But in a world where people who are close
Get upset when I share what I love most
My excitement is real, my smile is genuine
But in this world
Why is that a bad thing?

When I'm alone
I look around to make sure
If I'm alone
Or if I have to act mature
When I'm alone
I release the energy (Stimming all day!)
But people moan
If my happiness goes on display

Because in a world of family and friends
They tend to be more judgy than the rest
They criticize if you're not calmly sitting
I need to move
Why is that a bad thing?

To flap my hands
To jump up and down
To dumbly dance
And make random sounds
It means I'm excited, I feel joyous
Inside this world that's filled with chaos
I'm expressing my joy, I'm being me
Why is that a bad thing?

In this world
There's so much apathy
But in this world
Why can't I be happy?

Because in this world of manners and rules
If I squeal people think me a fool
I shouldn't be happy, I shouldn't be me
I'm autistic
Why is that a bad thing?


_________________
Link to my autism awareness sketch if interested: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SjQ ... sp=sharing


ASPartOfMe
Veteran
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User avatar

Joined: 25 Aug 2013
Age: 67
Gender: Male
Posts: 35,672
Location: Long Island, New York

09 Aug 2024, 1:25 am

Welcome to Wrong Planet. Evocative poem.


_________________
Professionally Identified and joined WP August 26, 2013
DSM 5: Autism Spectrum Disorder, DSM IV: Aspergers Moderate Severity

“My autism is not a superpower. It also isn’t some kind of god-forsaken, endless fountain of suffering inflicted on my family. It’s just part of who I am as a person”. - Sara Luterman