alternately titled blatherskite
emeritus inveighs mo\' nonsense
just thought to forewarn thee
dear reader, but dare continue
to become privy
to in utero events
that affect me until
death do me part.
As if a mute button controlling
being a talking head deactivated
or analogously a vocalization
switch turned off,
I could easily be mistaken
for a mute tint Ninja turtle
fired up courtesy
electric kool aid acid test
just take my honest
to dog word as proof positive
for such an assertion.
Perhaps if yours truly (me)
born when time
keeps on edging and slipping
closer into the future
the latter half of the second decade
of twentieth century,
when advanced knowledge
about being diagnosed functioning
at the high end
within autism spectrum,
(courtesy Temple Grandin),
I would have been
considerably more voluble
rather than being meek
and quiet as a Unitarian Church mouse
most of those formative years
constituting boyhood, puberty,
adolescence, and emerging adulthood
would be remembered
as Matthew Scott Harris
the babbling, bobbling,
brambling and bumbling.
A hunch (backed up with a gut feeling)
of experiencing profound difficulty
within nearly every grade
from first to twelfth
(except kindergarten)
within the Lower Providence
(id est Methacton) School District
fraught with impossible mission
to comprehend avast
random numbered array
of cognitive material
(despite being gifted and modest
with an above average aptitude)
linkedin with a speculative notion
of Asperger\'s syndrome.
No definitive proof
can be referenced and/or cited,
but said strong inclination
arose cuz our second
and youngest daughter,
(who celebrates her twenty eight birthday
February fourth two thousand
and twenty seven)
exhibited profound
developmental delay
soon after being born,
which dead giveaway
associated with lack
of language utilization skills
pronounced courtesy
her ear splitting screaming
and only a smattering of words
when she reached the first year mark,
whereby intervention provided
as a needs based condition.
Similar to prized progeny afflicted
with congenital and evident
aptitude challenges, plagued Punim,
whereat key brain areas
for speech and language,
such as the temporal
and frontal cortices,
possibly did not become
structurally present
and functionally connected
primarily during the third trimester
(around 24 to 32 weeks of gestation).
Additionally key brain areas
for speech and language
named Broca\'s area:
Located in the frontal lobe,
this region helps
form words, build sentences,
and physically produce speech
possibly lacked maturation
in utero development.
Another critical cortical section
situated within Encephalon:
The formal medical word
for the brain inside the skull
referred to as Wernicke\'s area:
Located in the temporal lobe,
this region helps you understand
spoken and written language,
and then rounding out
last but not least vital
constituent part of gray matter,
the ways and means
towards oral self expression
comprises the Motor cortex:
This area controls the muscles
in your mouth, jaw, and tongue
so you can talk out loud.
Way beyond my (burning) ken of knowledge to identify one or more contributing factors (videlicet microscopic agents provocateurs) spelling out the multitude of mutations affecting how and/or why healthy functional potential embryo and fetus segue into fully adept people, and quite miraculously amazing, but somewhat disappointing when disabilities congenitally go askew and blessed that thankful and timely intervention available for newborns, babies, toddlers, et cetera to be supported ala mental and physical therapy to bulk up disadvantages of body, mind and spirit.
Even if an individual born with a minor or major defect (such as a submucous cleft palate in the case of myself – spelled out in the following poem), or experiences a catastrophic accident amazing breakthroughs with sophisticated surgical tools of the trade allow, enable, and provide successful productive lives with many a storied survivor, whether native born or a foreigner.
Split Uvula
Up until I entered six grade
(at Henry Kline elementary -
a one classroom per grade school)
classmates bullied, derided,
and feigned to hammer -
jabbing leering, nasty
pimping ragout as a rule,
which boyhood self of mine
availed a perfect bulls eye target
as pluperfect scapegoat
with combination of diminutiveness,
being painfully quiet,
essentially remaining
Mum the entire day
even when Chris Anthem
crossed my path
except when called upon
to answer question
or read a passage from a book,
thence utterance
emanating between lips of mine
produced and emitted,
a strong nasal sound to boot
grist for the mill, sans
malice meted, mimicked,
and mocked mashup
of mine warped congestion
ah, twas only
by a fluke conversation,
whence speech pathologist
informed my parents about
The Lancaster Cleft Palate Clinic,
where oral an examination
revealed minor birth defect
identified as a sub-mucous cleft palate,
which explained severe pinched twang
somewhat mitigated
wearing removable oral prosthetic
fastened with clasps to upper teeth,
whereby a makeshift miniature
plastic protuberance closed the gap
(at the expense of practically gagging me)
so air would be prevented
passing thru my button nose,
and thus gentle and soft as a shutterfly
shunted air out oral opening,
though congenital defect disallowed
returning merchandise back to sender
before x and y gametes
swore a lifetime pact,
nor could blame be affixed
at either father nor mother,
who both harbored the genetic mutation
now such admissions
resulted in a hyper conscious male offspring
aforementioned impediment allowed,
enabled and provided boasting rights
now if in a mood
to bungle in the jungle
and please befriend me
especially if curious
to start a rumor with me
how awesome, handsome and winsome
whispered down the virtual ally.