Dancing shoes

This is a poem written by a mother about her autistic daughter. Dancing shoes she could never use...


I bought her tiny tap shoes, when she was only one

Preparing in advance for the many years of fun


Dance Recitals, Music lessons, bike rides in a park

Many things were thought of, before the dream went dark


They put her on a school bus; those tap shoes never worn

The baby on commute - the mother left to mourn


A team of pros will do the job that I was meant to do

Trying to be grateful, but there’s much resentment too.


I wanted to be the one - to hold her hand day long

To teach the ABC’s and the Old MacDonald song


Shouldn’t it be I - who can comfort any tears

Knew what hurt, knew what scared, knew what caused the fears.


The piano is now out of tune, it’s keys covered with dust.

The bicycle we’d thought she’d ride, has given way to rust.


A yard sale this October, found those tap shoes on the table

Boldly written was one dollar, on a sticky label.


The family who had found them, was tickled with their buy

Tap shoes never worn, for their little girl to try


I watched that family unknowingly, put “IT” in their trunk

“IT”, was my dream and I sold it for a buck.
By Susan Gould; mom of Bridget Gould (dx: autism spectrum disorder)