Hands outstretched toward the sky
with one arm I lift him up
as he strains to reach
a sun-kissed prize.
Such a kick to see
his tiny hand
grasp for the very first time
this perfectly round
fall ornament.
And with all his might
pulling really hard
"snap!" He's got it!
Leaves, stem and all.
To be a witness
that look of joy on his face
is life's little gift
while my daughter jumps
impatiently up and down
waiting to be lifted next.
In a moment
nothing else remembered
when earlier that morning
she refused to leave the house
because her shoes weren't pink.
She cried
as if her world was shattered
with tear-streaked face
she walked across the driveway
often glancing down at her shoes
that were brown, not pink
and not quite right.
Impossible to stay inside
on this sunny afternoon
when for a brief moment
nothing else mattered
and we were given the gift to forget
that both my children have autism.
CCA
10/09/05
