folks with intellectual disabilities
do not live in a vacuum
they know an insult when they hear one
damaged, inferior? not on your life
at first glance they are dismissed
different from the norm .. even scary
people mumble ‘retard’ under their breath
openly stare
their ignorance is palpable
there are lessons to be learned
from those labeled so thoughtlessly
for them, inner and outer limits
have no meaning
no matter how small
every challenge met is a victory
something the truly gormless
will never be able to grasp
*** Gormless: slow to understand
Today In the Pub we use rhetoric in a poem designed to convince ~ to make a case!
I wrote this poem back in 2019 ~ Hope I made my case then .. and today.
There is much truth in this. People can be so cruel... and so stupid. You definitely made your case.
ReplyDeleteI was a volunteer with L'Arche Liverpool, as a live-in full-time aid to the mentally and physically challenged. The experience changed how I see everyone. Thank you for your poem.
ReplyDeletePlainly and sensitively conveyed message, Helen. Your son is blessed to have a fierce mama in his corner. I felt protective of the juveniles I used to have on my caseload. So many people also wrote them off as being bad, lost causes, etc. without making any effort in getting to know them as individuals.
ReplyDeleteYou made me look up a word, and then I realized you defined it for us! Ignorance is always palpable.
ReplyDeleteHelen, I admire your strength and compassion so much...God bless you and your dear son...Rall !
ReplyDeleteDearest Helen,
ReplyDeleteExcellent poem—then and now!
Each human being has a precious soul and no one can judge our bodies.
Hugs,
Mariette
This is so important. We need to see beyond the mere apperance, and it is not just disabilities, it is things like language, skin color and what's not.
ReplyDeleteThat is so true, Helen. I remember when I was at school, I witnessed children making fun of a child with Down’s Syndrome, and it just happened to be the son of my mother’s friend, who I often played with and read with. He felt every nasty comment very deeply. He was a loving boy, who enjoyed stories. Years later, when I was visiting my mother, I took her dog for a walk, and a very tall man came rushing up to me and gave me a hug. He remembered me!
ReplyDeleteA great speech for the cause of compassion and understanding Helen...
ReplyDeleteGormless is new to me😊
ReplyDeleteNice one Helen.
Thanks for dropping by my blog
Much💖love
I worked as a “direct support professional” in a home where two women with intellectual disabilities lived. They are just like everybody else. They have their own problems, their own strengths. People are people.
ReplyDeleteI am deemed disabled for abuse history, anxiety, depression, etc., etc. Most people don’t believe those to be disabilities, and I have been asked “what’s wrong with you that you can’t work?” I can work, it isn’t that I am physically handicapped. I have had difficulty keeping an even keel emotionally at various places of employment. It really isn’t anybody’s business.
It comes down to each and every person is an individual with with unique attributes, and each and every person matters.
You are a beautiful soul, my dear Helen, inside and out.❤️🙏🏼
Hi Melissa, I worked for people with intellectual disabilities for the majority of my working life, starting as a support worker in a hostel - some of my happiest days, especially supporting people to move out into their own homes. As you say everyone is unique, has something offer and is deserving of love and respect ❤️
Deletepowerful write full of truth. showing the world how cruel the human race can be towards its self,
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing such a powerful piece Helen, I worked with and for people with intellectual disabilities for the majority of my career and I was at my happiest when supporting people to be heard and listened to, a brilliant write 🙌❤️🙌❤️
ReplyDeleteOne from the heart, and so beautifully so Helen. Sensitive, understanding, and powerful words that must be spoken and must be heard and heeded in this oft insensitive, even cruel world. Cruel not always intentional, because to be dismissive is to be cruel — and fear can make one dismissive. Bravo to you Helen for shedding your light of love for your special person, a light surely to help squelch the fear. People often fear what they don’t understand, or when they feel helpless in a situation. Thank you for the love and courage you shared here. May ir serve to dampen the misunderstanding of and fear of one and those who come to the world in a different way. Those who my require a different courage to daily face this planet and we often frightened people on it. Namaste to you Helen, and blessings to all the special people on this planet. May we ALL, each and every one of us, know love. ✌🏼🫶🏼
ReplyDeleteSo well put, Helen! And I love these lines:
ReplyDelete"no matter how small
every challenge met is a victory"
<3