"While You Were Staring"

While You Were Staring

By Jessica Hill

　

While you were staring

you could have picked up my purse.

I dropped it while my son was crying

And while you’re at it

could you muster a smile,

because my son is really trying

While you are huffing

and rolling your eyes

Could you understand that

loud noises catch him by surprise

While you were judging

my parenting skills

you failed to realize

how my son really feels

While you were whispering

“that child is a brat”

You missed what

caused him to behave like that.

If you would stop

and take a minute

to open your mind,

a child who is lost

in a world of sounds, sights, and smells

is what you would find.

Lending your hand or an understanding smile

would make the life easier

for someone raising

an autistic child.