A 10-year-old autistic boy writes a poem about his condition and his words are very moving

The magic of poetry lies in the fact that, like music, it manages to touch the heartstrings of whoever reads it.

In this way, they feel the same emotions as the person who composed the poem; almost as if the reader had also lived the same experiences.

It is, therefore, an alternative way of communicating, more immediate and emotional, more instinctive and effective than long explanations. 

This is also what 10-year-old Benjamin Giroux must have thought when he decided to explain to others what autism is like with his poem.

via boredpanda.com

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Benjamin Giroux is 10 years old and he is an autistic child which means that he has a neurodevelopment disorder characterized by a lack of verbal and non-verbal communication that compromises his ability to interact with others. 

Therefore, it is difficult for Benjamin to make other people understand his reality, the way he perceives and lives in the world; and more often than not, he is misunderstood. That is until he found his way to express himself. 

It happened when the teacher asked the students to write a poem. Instead of writing a few words in rhyme, Benjamin wanted to talk about his problem, about himself, succeeding - perhaps for the first time - in doing it successfully.

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This is the poem that Benjamin composed: 

I am odd, I am new

I wonder if you are too 

I hear voices in the air 

I see you don't, and that's not fair. 

I want to not feel blue, 

I am odd, I am new 

I pretend that you are too 

I feel like a boy in outer space 

I touch the stars and feel out of place 

I worry what others may think 

I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink

I am odd, I am new 

Now I understand now that so are you

I say I, "feel like a castaway" 

I dream of the day that that's okay 

I try to fit in 

I hope that someday I do

I am odd, I am new 

With his poem, Benjamin has managed to make others understand, the way he lives his condition, that he is aware of his state, the feelings of inadequacy that assail him when he compares himself to "normal" people; and, his desire to be like all the other children. 

A touching poem, which even the American National Association of Autism has decided to adopt and share!