Mark’s Progress II

For my nephew

Mark had trouble opening his mouth and some sounds posed obstacles for his lips and tongue.

When Mark was a toddler, doctors predicted that his autism would prevent him from learning to speak.

But Mark worked hard, encouraged by his parents, his sister Karen, and skilled therapists. They proved the doctors wrong.

Mark began with hand signs, then mastered phonemes and full syllables. He struggled with words like “Karen” and “home.”

Mark lagged behind his grade in language skills. But he kept pushing sounds into phrases, then three-unit sentences: “I want pancake.” continued overleaf

At Cousin Jay’s bar mitzvah, Mark’s mother wept, prayed that her son would someday catch up, live as a normal man.

The Jewish community sent teenagers to mentor Mark, play ball games with him, build his confidence, become his friends.

He learned to read in English and Hebrew, mastered crossing streets even in hectic New York, grew tall and strong.

At age thirteen, Mark had his bar mitzvah, chanted from the Torah, led songs and worship, made his family proud.

The rabbi compared this achievement to the Jews’ exodus from Egyptian bondage and praised the youth’s courage.

Mark continued to study, held summer jobs, graduated from high school, then lived with roommates while completing a new degree.

As COVID raged, Mark and his mother shopped for senior citizens and delivered their groceries. Now he works for a hardware store.

Mark’s progress gives me hope that more differently abled children will develop their skills, reach for distant stars.

Kate Ennals has published poems and short stories in a range of literary and on-line journals (Crannog, Skylight 47, Honest Ulsterman, The International Lakeview Journal, Boyne Berries, North West Words, Crossways, The Ogham Stone, Poetry Ireland Review, plus many more). She has published three collections of poetry. At The Edge (Lapwing) was published in 2015. Threads (Lapwing), was published in April 2018. Elsewhere (Vole Imprint), in November 21. Her fourth, Practically A Wake, will be published in 2024 (Salmon Poetry).