At the crossroads of a train station
Embarking on a new journey
New people, new languages, new cities,
Oh, what adventures excite me!
Overwhelmed with choices, I turn to the station master,
And to me he whispers inaudibly,
“If you crave the calm
Then I suggest train one
Awaiting you an underground city
Of rich culture and restoration
“The brass entry gates built upon its city’s birth
Remain more polished than your shoes
Every building adorns a clock
So everyday citizens can continue to peruse
On their everyday schedule
No sign, no time, nothing askew”
“Your interactions will be brief
With the inhabitants of this city,
With all the doe-eyed but dull-brained
And yet none sitting pretty
As everyday is Halloween
For these unique folks,
Bearing exotic masks and costumes
Even Ru Paul’s Drag Race put to shame
Of jealousy, for their attire evokes
Despite this rich city of performers
Outsiders spurn them, the butt of their jokes”
The train master took a breath and amplified his voice,
“Train two is another option
If you seek a nice getaway,
Hidden off on a sandy island
Full of the self-examined,
The Determined,
The Disciplined
“The Inhabitants are quiet
Do not make a fuss
The Inhabitants keep their heads down
And their lively orchestras a plus”
There’s just one problem
This island always rains,
No island floods more
Over shore
No crops flourish, no greens nor grains,
The Inhabitants shlep around with big brain drains,
Yet their persistence to thrive remains”
The station master puffed out his chest and bellowed,
“Or you can take train three
To the city of turmoil and uproar
The restless city, disco fever 24/7
Brightly colored ads blast from hologram screens
You can always find a nice coffee spot
At morning or evening,
And the inhabitants- oh, a wild bunch!
Adorn the busses with vivid graffiti
And their scientific prowess rivals no other
Traversing on flying bikes or parading talking kites,
As risky as they seem,
Regardless of the buses that seldom run timely,
There is no other group more dedicated
And driven to succeed”
The station master sighed.
“Or, you can take train four.
Your destination to a place
With everyone the same kind
But perhaps mundane, you may find
“Steel-enforced minds, their unwritten rules
Govern a society of smart fellows and fools
They greet one another in tightly covert riddles
And rhymes not primed
For anyone outside,
They’re an algebraic equation unsolved
Once you enter, you can’t turn around
Because you’ll turn complacent
And mold to the crowd”
So without hesitation
I boarded train four
No guilt, no penitence
No remorse in store
The next time you stand at a train station
I challenge you to consider
Will you board this train
Or pivot your destination
And perhaps meet new perspectives on your way?
Author’s Note on the inspiration behind this poem: This poem was inspired by my experiences as a rising scientist with Autism. Despite completing the same or more work, STEM professionals with disabilities are not given the same opportunities for success. This is systemic ableism, a pervasive and unfortunately extremely common issue in academia and higher education. This (slightly satirical) poem is intended to demonstrate some of the everyday cognitive biases against people of diverse neurotypes, and encourage the reader to reconsider that traits associated with neurodiversity are not something to avoid, but rather traits that should be celebrated and considered part of natural human diversity.
cogbites 