Robert Erlandson

Barriers

In his wheelchair a child sits at the playground’s edge. He craves to belong, battling loneliness. He dreams of running with friends, laughing. He yearns for accessible moments, no labels, just childhood’s simple joys.

disabled...

he imagines wings and flight                                    

soaring

the sky holds no bias

only the freedom of wind

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Author’s Note: “Disabled” is on the U.S. Federal Government’s Growing Banned Words List: 
https://pen.org/banned-words-list/.

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About the Author

Robert Erlandson has published his haiku, tanka and haiga in Haigaonline, Daily Haiga, Cattails, Ribbons, and Prune Juice. He has also published AWE, a chapbook of poetry and images speaking to the incredible relationships between nature, art, and mathematics. See more on his website, https://www.circlepublications.net/

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