From interviews with families of autistic children during COVID-19
Our dog cocks his head at us
barks growls smells something lurking.
Something’s wrong inside our home and
danger’s everywhere outside
My autistic son and I walk our dog
tug him on his leash but he pants cowers
take him off his leash and
he runs whining home.
My son follows the dog
believes there’s something lurking
sits in his room to watch the darkness
unchanging safe.
We stop taking the dog on walks.
Then my son stops walking with me
smells danger like the dog
wants to stay inside where things
don’t vaporize into a cloud
gone forever.
Joan Goodreau’s recent books are Where to Now? Strangers Together: How My Son’s Autism Changed My Life, and Another Secret Shared. A Pushcart nominee, Joan was awarded a Hedgebrook Writing Residency to complete her chapbook, Covid Cloud. Her award-winning short plays have been produced by Northern California theaters.
