Understanding Autism Through Poetry (Poems by Scott Lentine)

A while back, a young man by the name of Scott Lentine emailed me two of his poems. As soon as I read them, I was incredibly moved. He asked that I share them on my page. This is Scott's perspective on his autism.

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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


Scott Lentine, a 25 year old man with high-functioning autism (PDD-NOS/Asperger's) from Billerica, MA, a Boston suburb. He graduated from Merrimack College magna cum laude with a Bachelor's Degree in Religious Studies with a Biology minor. Scott is currently an office intern at the Arc of Massachusetts in Waltham, where he tries to persuade lawmakers to pass key disability resources legislation to improve the lives of people with developmental disabilities. Scott is interested in data clerical entry duties, hospital settings, autism non-profit organizations, and research type work.