They found him, the autistic boy
lost for four days
in the woods.
Rejoice! The lamb is
in the fold once more.
He accepted a roll and water
but did not acknowledge
his rescuer’s joy
or the intensity
of his mother’s elation.
Mama explained,
“Because of
his autism
he probably did not
know he was lost.”
I was like that once.
Living in that blissful
inner space
between realization
yet oblivious to danger.
Sometimes it’s good
not to know you are lost.
Sometimes not.
What matters is
finding yourself.
Joan Leotta has been playing with words through writing and performing since childhood. Her “motto” is “encouraging words through pen and performance.” Her award-winning poetry, short stories, books, and articles have appeared in many journals, magazines, and newspapers. Joan recently completed a month as one of Tupelo Press’ 30/30 poets. She has work forthcoming in Knox Literary Magazine, and Eastern Iowa Review. She performs folklore and one-woman shows on historic figures in schools, libraries, museums, and at festivals. Joan lives in Calabash, North Carolina with her husband Joe. You can learn more about her work and reach her through www.joanleotta.wordpress.com. You can like her on Facebook here.
A Quiet Courage 