The rich bureaucrats hurriedly
and nervously walked along the
populated metropolitan sidewalks
on their way to important (to them)
meetings
They carried their attache cases
swinging them almost in syncrony
as they anxiously raced along
with faces that were not smiling
but instead sadly frowning
Meanwhile in a nearby classroom for
people in wheelchairs
(who happened to have multiple handicaps
and limited intellectual capacity)
a lot of happy smiles and joyful laughter
were taking place
It was quite the contrast
the bureaucrats with their
perpetual sullen looks
and the worry-free students in wheelchairs
with their pristine laughter and genuine joy
For Christ’s sake
please realize that the bureaucrats
were not rich whatsoever
Tom's Nature-up-close Photography and Mindfulness Blog 
beautiful!
Means a lot coming from a poet like you, Michael.
Thank you, Tom, and your photo was awesome too!
Awesome! 😎
Much appreciated, M.T.! I often used to ponder such stuff when i worked as a teacher with those who had multiple handicaps.
Very cool brother! 😎 God Bless ❤️💯
That’s a beautiful Buckeye Butterfly Tom – I’ve only seen pictures of them, but never had the pleasure of seeing one in person. Enroute to Council Point Park I pass an autistic school for adults. One of the teachers takes a few of these men to the Park to walk every day, weather permitting. I read once in our Facebook neighborhood forum that this is the only teacher that takes the young men walking to/from and one loop at the Park, which is only a block or two from the school and apparently they all fight to get into this teacher’s class. It is sad to see these young men though – they appear to be otherwise healthy, but they don’t speak to one another, just march in a straight line, but occasionally they cry out, or are talking to themselves … in these instances I thank God for my health.
People with autism, Linda, can be very shut off socially. They often can be in their own little world. Most of my students were not autistic (and there are all kinds and types of autism). We often took our students to parks, zoos, malls, and nature centers. Harmony Park was right across the street from my classroom.
Yes, Buckeye Butterflies are amazingly beautiful. There are less and less of them these days.
Hi Tom – for some reason, I only get your replies to comments I’ve made sometimes and I realized this was one of those times, so I apologize for the late reply to you.
As to the autistic adults at the school, well – I didn’t want to say that, but, yes, clearly some of them are in their own little world. One of the young men puts his fingers up to his ears to plug them while walking and is talking away to himself. The four to six young men who walk with their teacher do not speak to one another – sadly, he doesn’t speak to them either unless one falls behind and he calls to them. He is walking and reading his phone. I always say good morning to them as a group and wave “hi” because I often pass them going single file on the same sidewalk as me or I see them at the Park – they do not walk where most of the walkers are, but on the other side. They rarely respond but I cannot pass people without passing the time of day … their teacher says “good morning”. It is sad to see them because I think for these guys, the school is not attempting to make them functional, or perhaps they are not capable of being functional, however, there are other school attendees that are functional. They have a greenhouse and grow plants and sell them in the Spring. They also have a little resale shop they run from donations to the school. This was not a school built for autistic students – it was repurposed after the elementary school closed down.
I hope to see a Buckeye Butterfly one day. Today I returned to Heritage Park where there are the formal Botanical Gardens, a small pollinator garden maintained by the Taylor Garden Club and then there are the community plots which are plots people rent from April to October to plant flowers and produce. I saw one Swallowtail and one Cabbage White for all those flowers I saw today.
I did see something interesting, however. They had many Allium plants at the Botanical Gardens and every one of them was swarming with small bees and these very tiny butterflies or moths. I walked by and the butterflies/moths emerged from inside the Alliums and flitted off. I waited around and they returned, but were so very tiny. Their coloring resembled Pearl Crescent butterflies, orange and brown, but Pearl Crescents choose asters as their host plant – these were clearly Alliums. When I eventually upload the photos, I hope I can figure out what type of bees and what type of butterflies/moths. And also there was a huge black wasp indulging in pollen as well.
It’s so sad that that so-called “teacher” was walking with them without talking to them, but instead, was reading stuff on his phone. That’s Tragic really. Many people who happen to be on the Autism spectrum are visually oriented (and not into speech and auditory stuff as much), but that doesn’t mean that you need not talk to them. Even using American Sign Language would be something to employ.
There is a new, invasive tick in the U.S. now (from some other country) and it carries all kinds of pathogens. It is spreading due to global warming. I am getting leery about walking in any area where ticks might be. Lymes disease especially is frightening.
There have been invasive wasps making nests on my house. I’ve knocked the nests down because these wasps eat jumping spiders (and i love jumping spiders).
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In my Facebook neighborhood/residents group which I peruse daily for crime reports by police/residents and City announcements, the woman was praising that teacher for taking the guys to Council Point Park. I thought “please look a little bit closer at the teacher who is engrossed in his phone.” I sure was not going to add my two cents worth that he is doing nothing more than playing “Follow the Leader” and that’s all. He does not interact with them and I “get” they are better walking single file, but they stay in that formation at the Park as well. I know being a teacher of the handicapped as you were, or those teaching or working with autistic or mentally challenged kids and adults would be difficult. Having never been around kids myself (no siblings and never babysat), I know I could not do this … I would not have the patience, but I’m sure it is the same way inside the classroom as well.
I did not know about the new tick, but I am so leery of ticks anymore Tom. The weatherman at a local TV station got Lyme Disease as a young man and had to quit his job, could barely get out of bed in the morning and ended up in a nursing home for many years, unable to take care of himself. The ERs here in the Detroit area are full of people with tick bites. I am staying on the paved trails – no woodsy trails for me right now. The ER docs say until it gets to 40 degrees, ticks are around. (I would think a hard freeze would be better.)
Oh – wasps aren’t good either. I had black wasps about five years ago – they found a small hole above the door and luckily the handyman at the time saw them going into the hole while he was tuckpointing and plugged up the hole. Seeing the black wasp yesterday reminded me of that.
Climate change is ruining a lot of things, among them, the nature experience for us. Yes, that is selfish, but the nature experience helps to clear our mind and transport us away, albeit briefly, from everything else going on in the world right now. Of course it impacts all the creatures that are part of that nature experience as well.
I have enough arthritis in my old age; Lyme disease would do me in if i caught it.
What climate change and pollution are doing to the creatures of nature is beyond horrifying.
Yes, you don’t need the complications and pain of Lyme Disease added on to your arthritis. I agree with you Tom – unlike humans who can spend time indoors, creatures of nature have nowhere to seek refuge.
Muy hermosa! Lovely colours!
Thank you, Marcela! Your photos are excellent!
Beautiful