Child II

The child
Trying to be
In touch without
Touching cringes up
Against the wall which
Has holes where a child’s
Rage has boiled over in this
World of autism where only mild
Patience can express the love
A parent feels for their child
Grown up in body like an
Athlete but bombarded
By stimuli too painful
To endure nursed a
While by family
But after two
Decades a
Child time
To be at
Rest in
Situ
With a
Similar soul
A future friend
Among those autistic
Children grown up but still
Children needing love not hugs
Not overwhelmed by warmth
Just a gentle reassurance
Just as we approach a
Horse from the side
Not head-on or
From the rear
But so as to
Not upset
Yet still
To re
Assure,
Appreciate
The autistic child
In a grown-up body.