"January Light" from Autism: A Poem

As I have mentioned previously, I have created a separate blog site as an open experiment of poetry composition, perhaps a glimpse at an emerging manuscript as it matures. The contents represent portions of an ongoing personal project with a particularly narrow focus intended to eventually develop toward a book-length poem tentatively and simply titled Autism.

The poem will grow as sections are added. The individual pieces are designed so that they may be viewed as independent items; however, I have consciously carried themes, images, and language through the extended sequence with the hope that connectivity and continuity will be preserved among numerous sections of the long poem.

On Sunday, as we moved our clocks ahead for Daylight Saving Time, I posted a new section that perhaps seems somewhat appropriate, “January Light.”

Readers are asked to regard Autism as a work in progress, a partial draft rather than a finished product (even if a few selected segments previously may have appeared in print), and I request everyone realize various revisions—edits, emendations, or expansion—may be made to the posts at any time in the future.

The pieces I have written for the collection of poems in Autism often focus upon seemingly minor moments in life that have suddenly become instances of revelation due to a new perspective presented by my son Alex or realized because of his reactions to them. As my wife Pam insightfully wrote in her most recent post, “Unexpected Rewards,” at One Autism Mom’s Notes, Alex frequently seems to exhibit delight in his daily encounters, an attitude that sometimes also appears “to make others feel the joy he finds in everyday experiences.” Consequently, he regularly encourages me to see the world around us through his eyes or with an enhanced appreciation and fascination I might not otherwise hold. “January Light” represents one more example of just such an incident.

In addition, as I mentioned at the beginning of this month, I am pleased that a portion of this poetry series in progress was released March 1 as Dark Refuge, an audio chapbook by Whale Sound. The dozen poems in this chapbook represent a narrative designed as a poetic sequence, part of this overall project of poetry I have been composing about particular observations or impressions concerning the characteristics and consequences associated with autism through a poetic chronicling of personal experiences with Alex.

Dark Refuge is available for readers to experience in differing formats: as online audio, online text, free downloadable mp3, pdf, e-book, print edition, and cd. Therefore, I also urge readers to visit the main page for Dark Refuge.