Your voice is soft spoken, not loud,
you blend well into the background,
you are mild-mannered and timid,
you are non-confrontational and placid,
you are quiet, reticent and shy,
can I dare ask you why?
Why must you wear such a protective mask?
I do hear the questions you ask…
So let me tell you of my life,
of my troubles, of my strife.
I’m a person with a disability,
I have cerebral palsy with reduced mobility.
A birth condition, not a contagious disease
but visual enough to cause peoples’ ill-at-ease.
This has been an unwarranted plight,
one I’ve had to learn to fight.
I’ve had to hide away, keep my distance,
from everyone who feared the difference.
The things that happened to me, hurt,
please excuse me for being so curt.
The verbal abuse I learnt to endure,
left me vulnerable, that’s for sure.
I’ve lived a life of trauma and pain,
I don’t want to go back there again.
It’s carved my past, my present, my future,
please excuse me for being unsure.
Emotional turmoil broke my heart,
but I do want to contribute, take part.
I’ve been left with a memoir of scars
but I do want to follow my own bright star.
My true identity is denied by society,
causing me grave anxiety.
I’m kept apart, hidden in plain sight,
I try as hard as I might,
to be accepted but I’m rejected,
disconnected and disrespected.
It is good that you ask
about the protective mask.
The mask makes me feel safe,
it makes me feel brave.
The mask preserves my dignity,
it serves me integrity,
but if you look beyond my physicality,
then you will clearly see
I can confidently speak my own mind.
You will also find
I am artistic and creative
I can be communitive.
Get to know me for me
and you will soon agree
that my hopes, my wishes, my desires,
match yours, it transpires.
If you can do all that I ask,
only then, will I let go of the protective mask.