Expressing her feelings genuinely

Unwilling or unable to do otherwise

She is no “poster granny” seen on TV

She is unapologetically herself

Resistant and strong willed

Forget the things she can’t do

Her abilities are centered on the essential

Maintaining her identity

Protecting her well being

My “healthy” brain is envious

Bound to the external realities

Trapped by an understanding of what it takes to fit in

I am compliant and self-sacrificing

We are bound by the same expectations

However her tangles, the plaques and knots free her

Uninhibited and authentic

She enjoys the things she enjoys

She dislikes the things she dislikes

Rejecting impositions

The class and I call activities

She is taking her own course

~Poem by Danyelle, a recent graduate from the U of M School of Social Work