Dyspraxia by Katharine Jones

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Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt,
I don’t look different.
You can’t see it,
Until breakfast.
I can’t tie up my laces, and I always look a mess.
My shirt is buttoned wrongly -
I still find it hard to dress.
I can’t hold my knife and fork yet.
I spill my drink, my mind is all muddled.
I know I am clumsy.
I get flustered and befuddled.
Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt.
I don’t look different.
You can’t see it,
Until I get into class.
I can’t copy from the blackboard.
It’s hard to concentrate.
The teachers call me lazy.
Keep me in and get irate.
They say that i’m untidy -
They’re very quick to blame me and don’t care to find out why.
Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt.
It don’t look different.
You can’t see it,
Until I write.
I can’t write very neatly
And I can’t write very small,
I get my letters backwards -
I can barely write at all.
The others say i’m stupid
And they call me lots of names.
They say that i’m a baby.
They won’t let me share their games.
Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt.
I don’t look different.
You can’t see it,
Until it’s art.
I can’t cut out with scissors,
I can’t rule nice straight lines.
I have never coloured neatly.
I don’t draw good designs.
The other children mock me.
They think it’s fun to tease -
They never want to play with me,
Like i’ve got some disease.
Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt.
I don’t look different.
You can’t see it,
Until I do PE.
I wobble when I balance.
It’s awkward when I run.
I can’t climb up a gym rope -
Sports isn’t any fun.
I can’t catch a bouncing football.
I can’t kick one in the net.
I’m always ‘it’ when we play tag.
They jeer, I get upset.
Dyspraxia is a pain!
It doesn’t hurt.
I don’t look different.
But it really hurts inside.
I want to be like other children -
Good at sport and playing games.
I really want to score a goal.
I want to be the same;
I’d love to write so neatly
And be good at colouring in.
I want my work up on display
Not rejected in the bin.
I know that I am lucky;
I can walk and talk and play.
I just do it differently
And kids prefer the normal way.
Taken from here.

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