The Greatest Obstacle & Other Poems
Aishwarya Othena
The greatest obstacle
The long white cane is an ingenious device.
For obstacle detection it usually does suffice
But beyond the roads and rubble
that sometimes make me stumble -
It finds itself helpless
against unsolicited human kindness
which may not, perhaps, make me fall,
And yet becomes the greatest obstacle of all.
If I could accept or reject
before they choose to select
Me as their good deed of the week,
I would not wish for or seek
A cane that can warn me
Of human obstacles that won’t let me be.
An Ode to my Travel Companion
This is the story of my fling with the long white cane
It is more than just some metal and string the long white cane
Wherever I go, whatever I do
In my hand I swing the long white cane
A click and a clack and a clunk and a clang
Oh how I can sing with the long white cane
New places, paths, and pavements I trod
And in my step there’s always a spring with the long white cane.
I have things to do and places to be
My dreams of independence take wing on the long white cane
they’ll never understand its charm, Aishwarya
Why then do you let your words ring for the long white cane?
A List of Things Non-Disabled People Expect me to Be
One. In perpetual grief about my blindness
Mourning for the sight I never had
Two. Happy to accept unsolicited kindness
Isn’t empathy the new fad?
Three. An inspiration people can look at and say
“At least my life is better than that”
Four. An encyclopedia that educates every day
And answers all questions even when there’s no time to chat
Five. The perfect speaker who does not fear
To speak on certain special days
Six. And holds in her words the rest of the year
Diversity has a time and a place.
Seven. willing to divulge every bit of medical detail
Curiosity only killed the cat
Eight. Tolerant of ableism beyond the pale
They just don’t know any better than that
Nine. Apologetic while asking for accommodations
Inconveniencing others is just not done
Ten. But sees inconvenience to Self as unworthy of examination
After all, I am the disabled one
Aishwarya Othena is currently pursuing her Doctoral studies at IIIT Bangalore in the area of IT and Society. . She explores ways of using art and writing to break stereotypes about disability and confront ableism. She is an avid reader, and an occasional, hobbyist writer. You can find more of her poetry online on her personal blog and her Instagram handle @the_blind_bookworm. Her fiction debut short story is part of an anthology titled Rooted: Stories of Home, published by Tell me your Story (TMYS).
