Fireworks

4th of July with autism can be uniquely interesting

As most everything involving autism is.

One year it meant watching the fireworks

From inside our car

While listening to “Frosty the Snowman”

Play on Repeat

For 45 minutes.

Another year

Anxiety and overstimulation took its toll

After hypersensitivity enabled him to hear

All of the fireworks shows

From all of the surrounding towns

At the same time.

He was inconsolable until

We gave him a small watermelon to hold.

Then he rolled it on the floor

And said, “Boom Boom, fireworks!”

But most years he watched them

From the living room window

Excited, flapping

Happy we were all together

Excited to see something beautiful.

I watched the lights reflected in his eyes,

On his face

And forgot to look in the sky.

(6/20-6/27/18)