B's the Name

Cherry

By Silver Spun Sand

Mon, 21 Oct 2013
  • 2510 reads
12 comments
 

 He could turn a dull day into a sparkling one,

by just glancing at me with those eyes of his

like ‘Chocolate Delight’, and that grin –

second to nothing but the sun coming up.

 

Then again, he could whip up a storm...

a tsunami, no less...a whirlwind, even –

spawned out of thin air; a sudden

tantrum about nothing much at all.

 

Could make superlative mud-pies,

and paint pictures of exploding stars

and the blackest of black holes...

Could do most things he set his mind to...

anything but speak.

 

I’d take him on my knee, try and get him

to repeat after me...’apple’, ‘bird’, ‘tree’,

even his name, but I guess Barnaby’s

hard to get your tongue around...so

we settled for ‘B’.

 

And then, he’d give me that look –

said I was wasting my time – jump off

my lap; go running upstairs, like a puppy,

shunning the leash...a kite – its string,

a colt – the bit between its teeth.  Escaping –

 

back to his own world of deepest,

darkest outer space...of nebulas and Neptune...

Mercury and Martians, where make-believe

was the last word in freedom.

 

Certificate PG
Poem
Silver Spun Sand Poems
Biography

Comments

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

and did he speak in the end? Nice snapshot of the lad, and his delights, and giving of pleasure; so many ways to communicate at that age, not strange the variety of ages that words get spoken, I suppose. Not often the problem really remains very long is it. Apparently, having spoken some very clear words quite young, I then decided to use very few for quite a time - actually mostly one, I think - except when a need was very great!
Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Yes, Rhiannon, he did.  Now eighteen years old he has just started a degree course in Philosophy at Warwick University.  He battles daily with autism, but it is a fight he usually wins.  From an early age, unwilling to label him as autistic his parents have been instrumental in nuturing the amazing talents this young man has...biased though I am, as most grandparents are;-)

Thanks for reading, and for your lovely comment, Rhiannon.  Much appreciated.

Tina

 

Submitted by maisie on

wow. loved the poem and the commentstreplies.  One of mine had speech problems as a child, not autism just a physical handicap which required surgery at age 8.  It's mega frustration, for all. speech. 

 

maisie angel Guess what?  I'm still alive!

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Too true, Maisie.  Only thinking about you t'other day.  Great to hear from you, and grateful to you for sharing.

Tina

 

Submitted by sappho on

Oh yes. This is lovely. The ending in particular is moving - "Where make-believe was the last word in freedom."

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thank you, so very much sappho.  Good of you to drop by and let me know your thoughts;-)

Tina

 

Submitted by Bee on

Hi Tina.

There's so much love and admiration in this - for who he actually is. That's what I liked so much. So often people see something special and want to pigeonhole it instead of nurturing the talents. So pleased he is doing so brilliantly. That's down to the determination of his mum and dad's  unwillingness to label him too soon - it often seems to end there once they have managed to fit someone into an 'appropriate' box. 

Lovely poem for a lovely boy. He sounds amazing. 

Bee

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Well hello there, Bee.

Yes, I am more than proud of him, as are his mum, and dad, needless to say.

He is enjoying university life, so his mother tells me, although as with most lads, he doesn't get in touch that often;-)  Against all odds he has managed to fulfill his dream, and the next one on the agenda is to become a fully fledged philosopher.  Not too many openings out there in the big wide world for philosophers, but we shall just have to wait and see. With him, anything is possible;-)

Thank you so very much for your words which ring so true to my ears.

Tina

 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Tina,  the challenges that Barnaby has had to endure,  shines through in this piece of writing.  It's  never  easy to approach life's difficulties for the best of us,  but when you have a disability it makes life ten times harder.  Though he comes across as someone who doesn't worry to much about things,  but just gets on with it.  I hope he manages to achieve his dream of becoming a philosopher.  An inspiring piece that I enjoyed reading.  Jenny.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Hi there, Jenny...you have summed him up to a 'T'.  And many thanks for your good wishes as to his ambition.  I hope so too;-)

Tina

 

Submitted by VeraClark on

One of those poems that makes you want to yell at society: 'Now, stick that in your pipe and smoke it.' You're conjured this little beauty so well, Tina. Best of luck for his studies. What a gorgeous poem.

 

Submitted by Silver Spun Sand on

Thanks Vera, for reading, for commenting, so kindly, and for the good luck wishes, which I shall pass on;-)

Tina