I realize it is difficult for me to communicate,
But I am very much aware of my every mistake.
I know you may think I m retarded or unaware,
But don t sell me short, survivors like me are very rare.

This makes the eighth time I must work to get my abilities back,
But I don t mind working hard or doing whatever it takes.
I am writing so that you can t be distracted by my current deficits,
If I can figure out my areas of incompetence, it is something I can fix.

Even though I am aware, don t worry I m not criticizing you,
After seventeen years of observation, I m used to what people do.
Your judgment makes me uneasy, not for me, but for all of you,
God tried to teach us to have love and mercy, not dismiss us like you do.

After eight brain injures, I can see you think I have nothing else to give,
On the contrary, if you watched and listened I could show you how to live.
God loves all his children, abled or not, but in your busy life you must have forgot,
We all have hardship and heartbreak, but we with disabilities experience this a lot

This teaches us to smile at the little things, the things you may have never seen,
We are so thankful to still have some function, we don t waste time being mean.
We watch you, and even sometimes imitate you, we feel when you aren t really listening,
When you are rude and condescending, you don t even notice my tears are glistening

08-18-2006
Debbie Wilson-Burgess