what is sensory sensitivity?

1.

it’s when your eyes burn because a car (or a fleet of them) flies by on the other side of the interstate highway

it’s when the faucet drips every four-to-six seconds, and it’s several closed doors away, but you can hear it anyway

it’s when you’re eight years old, and you’re shipped to your aunt for spring break, which you love, except for the clock with the pendulum above the couch, tick-tocking away all that sleep you aren’t getting

it’s why you leave when anyone over the age of 35 farts

it’s the grate of higher pitches in voices, or the squealy sound of fingernailed chalkboards, or the beeping in hospitals

it’s why hell is made of leaf blowers

it’s when someone holds your hand for too long, or touches you without applying the correct amount of pressure, or your sweat clams on your skin during a heat wave

it’s the heinous shirt collar tag we’ve been complaining about since the Industrial Revolution

2.

it’s when a flower with a subtle scent is the best flower, but no one knows the secret except you

it’s when you can play video games on the other side of the house without worrying if you’ll miss the oven alarm

it’s when the sunset bursts into enough colors to make you believe in magic, or at least, appreciate color theory more than your peers

it’s when you translate what the cat says based upon influxes in meows

it’s how we sense disturbances in the force (maybe)

it’s why autistic people make up a higher percentage of artists and innovators vs. less stimulating professions

it’s what’s required to truly appreciate plushies, plush furniture, and plush blankets

it’s part of who autistic people are

poetry actually autistic poem sensory sensitivity