Through the Mist

Running through the mist, I try
To catch you up. I'm left behind
Trying to make sense of this;
Dying just to make it fit,
But you are always out of reach.
Empty words I hear you speak
Leave me struggling to see
Through the mist surrounding me.
I want to scream behind empty smiles.
Won't you bear with me a while?
I have tried so hard, but still,
I won't see the things you will
As you run ahead of me.
I'm left struggling to see,
Sure that something has been missed.
I can't follow through the mist.

Author notes

A common metaphor used to describe the experience of being on the autistic spectrum is that of there being a mist surrounding the person, stopping them from clearly seeing the social world that they are immersed in. In this poem, I've focused on extended metaphors, as though the speaker is literally lost in the woods, desperately trying to navigate but failing to keep up with everyone else.