Poetry by Scott Lentine

A while back I was contacted by Scott Lentine, a 25 year old man with high-functioning autism (PDD-NOS/Asperger's). He graduated from Merrimack College magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies with a Biology minor. He's an intern at the Arc of Massachusetts in Waltham, where he works to persuade lawmakers to pass key disability resources legislation to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities.

Scott is also an amazing poet. Here are several of his poems. Enjoy!

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Just a Normal Day 

Just a Normal Day 

Never knowing what to say 

Never knowing what to do
Always looking for clues

Just a normal day

Feeling unsure
Totally perplexed with everyday life
Always on edge never certain
I wish I could lift this curtain

Needing to constantly satisfy my need for information
Always online searching for new revelations
Going from site to site
Obtaining new insights every night

Trying to connect with people my age
Attempting to reveal my unique vision
But ending up alone and unengaged
Feeling like my needs a total revision

Just a normal day

  Can’t You See

Can’t you see
I just want to have a friend
Can’t you see
I need the same connections in the end

Can’t you see
I want a good job
Can’t you see
I need to have stability and dependence and part of the general mob

Can’t you see
I want to be independent on my own
Can’t you see
I want to be able to have my own home

Can’t you see
I want the same things as everyone else
Can’t you see
I want to be appreciated for myself

    

The Ode to the Autistic Man

Try to understand the challenges that I face
I would like to be accepted as a human in all places

Where I will end up in life I don’t know

But I hope to be successful wherever I go

I would like to expand my social skills in life
Making new friends would be very nice

Stand proud for the autistic man
For he will find a new fan

I hope to overcome the odds I face today
Increased acceptance will lead me to a brighter day

By the age of 20, I will have made tremendous strides
I know in the future, life will continue to be an interesting ride

I have made new friends by the year
I will be given tremendous respect by my family and peers

I hope to get noted for bringing the issue of autism to the common man
So that autistic people can be accepted in this great land

Stand proud for the autistic man
For he will find a new fan

I hope to overcome the odds I face today
Increased acceptance will lead me to a brighter day

Thanks for sharing Scott!  Please support Scott by visiting his blog @ http://scottlentine.wordpress.com/.