mosaic

Spastic hands, uneven legs

Beneath the scars, metallic plates

Silver sticks, grey tips

Always at my side

On the surface, some may see

Twisted limbs, deformities,

Look deeper, please,

I’m a mosaic

Irregular shapes aligned

Multiple colors intertwined

Broken bits, perfect fit

My unique design is colored

RED WITH LOVE

ORANGE WITH HOPE

YELLOW WITH FRIENDSHIP

GREEN WITH KINDNESS

BLUE WITH LOYALTY

INDIGO WITH SINCERITY

VIOLET WITH CREATIVITY

and

PINK WITH COMPASSION

Blue and white access

Doesn’t guarantee “acceptance”

Or fuel my technicolor dreams

Of a barrier-free world

Where I don’t always look up

To meet another pair of eyes

Or try to gain attention

From the backs of knees

No pity, please

I’m a mosaic

Not fragile, like glass

But rugged, like stone

My life story unfolds

Etches a pattern

Across my soul

As a mother

Daughter

Sister

Friend

Writer

Dreamer

Advocate

Survivor

I’m a mosaic

Intricate, authentic

Atypical edges

Forged, formed,

From dark to light

Shining, shimmering,

Glimmering gold

Ablaze with possibilities

And untapped potential

Translucent, iridescent slate

Colored by

Laughter, tears

Faith, fears

Pain, progress,

Wounds, regrets,

Indifference, assumption,

Overcoming

Exclusion, illusion

Striving, surviving

Seeking, finding

Giving, living,

Learning, yearning,

Loving

Over so many years

So many shades

In this masterpiece

Created by

“we/us,” “they/them,” “he/him,” “she/her,” “me/i,”

I’m a mosaic