THE UTTER RESILIENCE OF A DAUGHTER'S SOUL
Coral Gathman Cook
Every fiber of my being in acute distress
Violently convulsing with every type,
Variation, degree and intensity
Of weeping within my spirit
That special place where my love
For my precious, delightful
Deaf, Autistic daughter makes its home
Groaning in the Spirit with prayers
And utterances that defy language
And spoken expression
Unspoken agony and travail
Of the spirit that reach beyond
The place where remorse
Begins and has its end
In the starkly devastating
Debris of shame
That lies scattered
ALong its world's most gloriously
Life affirming beaches
And those awesomely beautiful
Blended hues of pinks and lavenders
Which spread as tapestry
Across the delicate butterfly wings
You always knew would gently
Rest one day
Upon your fragile shoulders
To lift you up with Grace
Then lower you as a featherweight plume
To sit upon the top of that particular
Rainbow which is the most
Radiant of all to you
There, as was always
Your expected end,
Lay the world out before you
Where you would search
For all the things that neither
You nor I ever thought to wonder of
Or hope to have
Very sadly along the way
I missed a cue
Bumping the peaceful, happy place
Where you and your amazing spirit
Found long awaited respite
While still your brilliant spectrum
Of dazzling color
Sparkles in your eyes
With limitless potential
That you now know
Stands ready to access for you
Anything you hope
You might create yourself to be
Shine on, my brilliant star
My delightful gift from God
The world is at your feet
Grasp all of it you want and need
Hold it firm. Its all yours
You deserve it
For you have earned it
With the resilience
And the uniqueness of your soul
You are amazing
A precious gift from God
Autism has spoken out to me
In its clear and certain voice
From your heart to my spirit
Because I have been somehow blessed
To look into your eyes
And see your living soul
Coral Gathman Cook
Every fiber of my being in acute distress
Violently convulsing with every type,
Variation, degree and intensity
Of weeping within my spirit
That special place where my love
For my precious, delightful
Deaf, Autistic daughter makes its home
Groaning in the Spirit with prayers
And utterances that defy language
And spoken expression
Unspoken agony and travail
Of the spirit that reach beyond
The place where remorse
Begins and has its end
In the starkly devastating
Debris of shame
That lies scattered
ALong its world's most gloriously
Life affirming beaches
And those awesomely beautiful
Blended hues of pinks and lavenders
Which spread as tapestry
Across the delicate butterfly wings
You always knew would gently
Rest one day
Upon your fragile shoulders
To lift you up with Grace
Then lower you as a featherweight plume
To sit upon the top of that particular
Rainbow which is the most
Radiant of all to you
There, as was always
Your expected end,
Lay the world out before you
Where you would search
For all the things that neither
You nor I ever thought to wonder of
Or hope to have
Very sadly along the way
I missed a cue
Bumping the peaceful, happy place
Where you and your amazing spirit
Found long awaited respite
While still your brilliant spectrum
Of dazzling color
Sparkles in your eyes
With limitless potential
That you now know
Stands ready to access for you
Anything you hope
You might create yourself to be
Shine on, my brilliant star
My delightful gift from God
The world is at your feet
Grasp all of it you want and need
Hold it firm. Its all yours
You deserve it
For you have earned it
With the resilience
And the uniqueness of your soul
You are amazing
A precious gift from God
Autism has spoken out to me
In its clear and certain voice
From your heart to my spirit
Because I have been somehow blessed
To look into your eyes
And see your living soul