Our DSM-IV* was a blooming garden
Of highlighted pages, sticky notes,
Worn hand-creased gospel to explain
My brother’s every knack and whim:
No bright lights or blaring music,
Save when the summer storms blew in.
Every three math problems equals
A hissing glass of Cherry Coke.
A heavier seat for his tricycle
Soon hid a web of Juicy Fruit.
Routines. Affirmations. Flashcards:
Words to expressions to rolling
Bins full of leaves down the curb.
What we didn’t anticipate was
Perhaps most important, closest
To him of all. His hands riffling
Autumn leaves, finding one alone
To hold in the wind before it’s gone.
* Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition
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