Reminiscing On Lost Extra Time
Finished writing this within the last two days of Disability Pride Month last year. A poem reminiscing on an accommodation I used to get in school and the adjustment to a world that doesn’t typically give it. Originally posted in July 2023.
Reminiscing On Lost Extra Time
By: A.X. Bueno
You remember back in school when they gave you extra time
To take tests and such
Back then it felt off
Like it was really too much
You've gotta be quicker than that
Keep up with the other kids
You don't need this special treatment
Surely you're too capable to need that much time
But looking back it was a valuable thing you took for granted
Because adjusting to life without it has been a bit of an uphill climb
And definitely not an easy one as adult life tends to move fast
You're left feeling self-conscious about your speed and what it could broadcast
You feel like you're constantly compensating and too slow
Some will tell you you actually move too quick though
No matter your speed it sometimes feels like you still can't win
Speed up or slow down every action a cycle of doubt that begins again
That can be alleviated by those who seem to understand
Or your own efforts meeting other's demands
But even still that extra time is a luxury you don't often get
Which can be stressful but you adapt as best you can
Because you've got to keep trying in a world that's in its own ways set
And reminds you frequently and conversely it has not adapted to people like you yet