Gowan Daisy Ditchburn (they/them) shared the poem below for International Autistics Speaking Day.
Gowan wrote “While often we discuss sensory overload, for very good reasons, I wanted to do something a little different. While many non-autistics often only hear of our experiences in the negative, I wanted to amplify our unique experiences of autistic joy. With this poem I highlight how our awareness can bring us moments of joy and true connection with our environment, where every detail is seen, heard, felt and embraced”.
Thank you Gowan.
Sensory Bliss Breathe Let the crisp air tingle on my nose, as I blow a ripple down my clothes. All is still. Rising sun through willow trees, an emerald light of fantasy, Hand on rock, so rough to touch, bubbles of lava cold. Breathe tasty smells of baking bread, grass crinkled with every tread, I feel at home Birds sing in chorus, a warbled melody. Flowing from all around, spilling from every tree Breathe Scent of flowers in the air, the faintest breeze in my hair, I am here Moving through this space, interwoven with the place, we are one. No detail unseen, No texture unfelt, No sound unheard, No scent unsmelled. Sensory bliss. Gowan Daisy Ditchburn 2021