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Facing the Monster

Categories: Learning Disabilities

On October 6th at the Dyslexia Awareness Day Rally in Columbus, Ohio, a young woman bravely stepped up to the podium to read a poem she had written. Emily Long, a student in Ohio and a new member of RFB&D, brought the audience to tears with her original account of living with a profound learning difference.

 The Monster  

I sit and stare at my paper
the words forming a dance upon my page
so many questions
that could be solved with the lifting of one problem
the one reason I sit here and learn nothing
something that will never go away
something that will never be my fualt
why a small girl sat on her dad's lap
and cried
because nothing made sense
because she couldn’t do it
no matter how hard she tryed
It always continues
the strugle, the fight
with those words
though they dance with new rythm upon my page
though I have learned their twisted ways
some people have not, some people cannot
A small child will always sit on their dad’s lap
and cry because nothing makes sense
we cannot “fix” them
we cannot take away the struggle
because sooner or later
they must face the monster
His greedy hands will grip at you
and pull;
 fight
you have no choice
be stronger, or go down
down with the monster
who feeds on failure
who lives for your tears
and follows you though the years
the monster that is dyslexia