Worthy

I am
Folders full of subfolders,
A strong sense of justice,
And the same set of steps every day
For getting ready in the morning and getting ready for bed.
I am organization, equity, and routine.

I am also
Earplugs in public spaces,
Surprisingly slow reading speeds,
And difficulty sensing my own hunger and thirst,
How my body feels on the inside.
I need patience and accommodations.

I am
Literalism and logic,
Alexithymia and arm-flapping,
Special interests and sensitivities,
Fidgets and fairness.

And I am just as worthy as anyone else.

---

Re-learning

At twenty-two, the diagnosis came.
It turned out autism explained my life.
That knowledge wiped away the years of shame,
For finding “easy” things were full of strife.

The label brought relief but also fears.
Could I be loved, or was I damaged goods?
But quickly, comfort blocked out any jeers.
I learned to set aside ill-fitting “shoulds.”

But then return-to-office did me in.
I sought accommodations, full of hope.
But eight months of hostility wore thin,
Abilities I had to try and cope.

Which leaves me here, exhausted by their screeds
Re-learning who I am and what I need.

---

Linnea Peterson (they/them) is a queer, autistic writer from Minnesota. Their creative writing has appeared in Five Minutes and other literary magazines, and they have stories in the forthcoming anthologies A Truth Universally Acknowledged: Queer Fanworks Inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice from Duck Prints Press and Extraterrestrials: Another Autistic Trans Anthology, edited by Ryan Vale.

Bluesky: @lpetersonwrites.bsky.social

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Website: linneapeterson.com