Perfect As Promised Poem by Charlene Lee

To the world, I'm a mother of two who seems fine,
With struggles kept quiet and tucked out of line.
But behind the front door, the battle is real,
Against all the judgments that people reveal.

'She's rude, ' they remark when she stays in her shell,
Selective in silence, a story to tell.
'He has no manners, ' they say with a frown,
When he blurts out his heart and won't pipe it down.
'Stop catering to them, they're just being tough, '
But for them, a 'want' is a 'need' that is rough;
The textures, the tastes, the safe plate of food,
Is the difference between a calm day or a mood.

'It's just a phase, ' for the tenth change of clothes,
But sensory fire is a thing no one knows.
'They're too old for that, ' when they cover their ears,
As the hum of the world fuels their deepest of fears.
'Why does he walk like a dinosaur? ' they ask,
Because living in public is a terrifying task,
And when critics like you make the world feel so small,
He mimics the giants to feel safe and feel tall.

'Why is she upside down? Won't she fall to the floor? '
But she's finding her balance, and seeking for more.
I don't fear the ground, and I don't fear the stares,
I only fear hearts that are caught unawares.

For all that I care, and all I will do,
Is make sure they know that my love is the glue.
In every quirk, and in every perceived flaw,
They are the greatest souls I ever saw.
Autism is part of the magic they share,
But it doesn't define them—it's just what is there.
Perfect as promised, and whole from the start,
They are perfectly made, and they own all my heart.