Autism and Tactile Sensory Issue
This is a poem about shopping when you’re on the spectrum
![](https://res.cloudinary.com/jerrick/image/upload/d_642250b563292b35f27461a7.png,f_jpg,fl_progressive,q_auto,w_1024/6203360cf14d95001dff82f9.jpg)
Go in
See something you like
pick it up
Try it on
Easy, Peasy, right?
But it isn’t at all…
Velvet and nylon
Make piercing shivers run down my spine
Woven wool, brushes against my skin
And slowly, but Surely
I pull further and further away from the racks
As t-shirts, dresses and jackets all grab at my nerve endings
And tug ruthlessly
Pulling, pushing, snapping and grating
Until I can no longer see the sky blue dress, which once pleased my eyes with calming swirls of Cerulean
I can only feel
Feel the shivers running through my veins
The zaps of electricity as one sleeve of each woollen jumper manages to brush against me
The mere sight of nylon place a frog in throat; wiggling, jumping and lurching
But velvet, oh velvet is my kryptonite
I see it and immediately want to run
So I do
It’s been all of fifteen minutes
I think…
And already I’m squeezing my mom hand
A silent signal we devised when i was a child
A signal that says so much, but equates to four simple words
Too much, must leave…
About the Creator
Ellie Hopwood
Classics and Archaeology student trying to stumble through the baffling thing that is life while battling Anxiety disorder and peoples misconceptions of ASD. I write poetry, fiction; and on historical events/ people, and mental health
Enjoyed the story? Support the Creator.
Subscribe for free to receive all their stories in your feed. You could also pledge your support or give them a one-off tip, letting them know you appreciate their work.
Comments
There are no comments for this story
Be the first to respond and start the conversation.