Autistic boy’s poem about being ‘odd’ was praised by millions, and its message is pure gold

Benjamin Giroux, a boy with autism, touched millions of people with his heartfelt poem.

The young poet, who has a form of autism called Asperger’s syndrome, shared his poem on Facebook.

Benjamin, who is from Plattsburgh, New York, was only ten years old when he wrote the poem.

His poem reads:

“I am odd, I am new

I wonder if you are too

I hear voices in the air

I see you don’t, and that’s not fair

I want to not feel blue

I am odd, I am new

I pretend that you are too

I feel like a boy in outer space

I touch the stars and feel out of place

I worry what others might think

I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink

I am odd, I am new

I understand now that so are you

I say I, ‘feel like a castaway’

I dream of a day that that’s okay

I try to fit in

I hope that someday I do

I am odd, I am new.”

Benjamin shared his post on April 23, 2016. The original post was re-shared hundreds of times and drew hundreds of comments.

OVERWHELMED BY THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE

He was overwhelmed by people’s response to his poem, writing in the comments, “As of today, my poem has been seen by more [than] 5 million people! That we know of! Just by the likes and shares on the major sites. That is so overwhelming for me to try and understand. Thank you very much everyone. You've made me very happy.”

Benjamin, who is from Plattsburgh, New York, was only ten years old when he wrote the poem. He wrote the poem for the National Poetry Month 2016. His teacher instructed the class to write a poem about themselves.

His poem truly resonated with both children and adults across the world.

Benjamin’s story calls to mind that of Sef Scott, another student with autism. Sef became an internet sensation after delivering an inspirational graduation speech.