poems
Sometimes I wish I could ride
through a lonely beach of lavender,
like horses do. With small hooves
and flat haunches, making no sound.
climbing mountains, seeing stars
The World in My Head project works directly with young people in SEN schools to create magical poems using accessible prompts for all abilities.
Read some of the poetry below, and get inspired — all the prompts used are available on this site to download and use!
Peter, age 7
Peter is 7 years old and came to China from America.
He has been diagnosed with autism, and is verbal – but often prefers to talk to himself rather than to others. He mostly uses sounds and gestures to communicate.
BAT IN A WASHING MACHINE
When the room gets too bright,
my head starts to feel like a tumbling ship
way out in the far rolling sea.
The jagged wind sounds like a raptor,
searching for land.
It sounds like a scolding in my brain,
a feeling of churning in my heart.
When my personal space is invaded,
I feel like a bat in a washing machine–
like the machine is made of rules
and I can’t get out.
Jayden, age 6
Jaden is 6, and has been diagnosed with autism. He is verbal, and loves to hold conversations about his special interests: SpaceX and cars.
Jayden finds it very hard to settle or sit still.
HEADLIGHTS
When life is like a crowded street
and full of noise and movement,
I come back to the car,
where I find myself calm.
The car tells me:
“We can go to the depths of outer space,
on Falcon Heavy, away from the world.
We must turn on the headlights
in the deepest cave, where nobody goes.
In the quietest corner of your mind, where
no one can reach, we can drive drive drive
to Pudong Airport Parking level 4.”
Sisi, age 12
Sisi is 12 years old, and has been diagnosed with autism. She is non-verbal, and is silent most of the time.
She communicates mainly by using gestures: she likes to hold people’s hands and to lead them around.
SKY
My friends and I
are like a hooting of owls,
soaring, soaring, soaring
in the rain.
Even when it’s grey,
even when the day
is too dim and too dark
and too much,
when I’m with friends
I feel like I am in the sky.
Dolphin, age 5
Dolphin is 5 years old. He has been diagnosed with autism, and is one of the more verbal students within his cohort.
He is energetic but not loud, talkative, and friendly. He mostly likes to play alone.
NOBODY KNOWS
Nobody knows
the world inside my head is red
and yellow,
and sounds like a bobcat’s wild mewl.
Nobody knows
that I dream about sleeping
in a cave made of fire
and stone,
and a playground
in the sky.
Lucas, age 15
Lucas is 15, and has been diagnosed with autism. He does not like direct eye contact and feels more comfortable looking at the ground. He is one of the more verbal students at the school. He often mimics the speech of those around him, and he loves to laugh.
LIONS IN THE DARK
My friends and I
are like a pride of lions,
living living living in the dark.
Even when I burn, even when the day
is too hot and too orange and too much,
when I’m with my friends
I feel like I can roar.