“The Man In A Wheelchair.”

Do not pity us,

Seated upon our wheelchairs,

We are an asset and not a liability,

Able to rise up,

Leaping with joy and pouring in laughter,

We are not fragile,

Nor are we sick in our minds,

Take me not to the asylum,

For I am resilient and not fragile,

Strong like a lion

Walking gracefully on God’s beautiful earth,

Never look at me and say,

Oh shame, the poor old man is in a wheelchair,

My blood dear one,

Still runs through my veins,

And I am human just like you

***

Poet’s Bio- Lazola is a poet, essayist and novelist. His works have been published in the 2012 Short Story Day Africa, Poetry Potion Journal, 2012 Pendle War Poetry collection, Fundza Literacy Trust and Moonlight Songs for Pa Nelson Mandela anthology amongst others. Lazola’s hobby is reading ancient and modern literature.

Illustration by Alan Van Every (Featured image on the front page)