Peering through the spectrum

by Heather Welsh

All lonely people know the distinctive difference between being in a group of people and being part of something. peering through the spectrum is a candid exploration of adolescent expression from a neurodivergent perspective. Living in a world not build for you is an isolating, disregulating experience. Life is a constant struggle between authenticity and preformitive societal regulations, like one's perpetually on the outside peering in. While not everyone is on the spectrum, these poems will resonate with anyone who has ever felt isolated or misunderstood. Broaching topics including insecurities, love, fear, and ambition, this little book of wonders is not a compendium of pain. Through the comfort of words, we can relate to another's hidden burdens, and by result feel less alone. Written at and before the age of twenty-one, these twenty-one poems allow readers the unique opportunity to peer side by side, through the spectrum.