Melinda Coppola

twenty four may | from the inside out

Melinda Coppola

twenty four may | from the inside out

NOT ZEN, BUT NOW

Being present is easy when the blue sky moment is trimmed with green grass, when temperate breezes blow your hair back gently from your bright, clean face. You can hop off the worry train quickly in such minutes and hours. You can drop your baggage carelessly to the ground without so much as a glance […]

Today’s Truth

We all have challenges, right? Bink has rocky periods, when her anxiety rises and OCD rears its particularly ugly head. There is no easy or quick fix for these times, though we try many things. When she hurts, I do, too, with my whole heart.  I know things will change, because they always do, but […]

Questions, Questions, Everywhere

  When Bink was young, I didn’t know if she’d ever be able to ask questions. She had words at age three and four, five and six, but not in a conversational way. She didn’t point at things. Figuring out what she needed or wanted involved some combination of detective work, intuition, and guessing, the […]

MORE AUTISM AWARENESS: RITUALS

AUTISM AWARENESS MONTH: DAY 18 Routines and rituals. Don’t we all have them? Under the best of circumstances, they can add order, meaning and beauty to our lives. For many people with autism, they go beyond that, offering comfort, safety, structure, and learning opportunities. Life with Bink is rich with these practices and observances, ranging […]

Poetry, Autism, and Statistics, Oh My!

Hello! I’m happy to share that  my poem, Autismville, won the Songs of Eretz Readers Choice Award Contest, and another of my poems, 7 AM, came in second!  If you’d like to see the official announcement, you can click HERE   If you voted in the contest, thank you, thank you! This is an international contest, […]

Am I blue?

Hello, I’m re-posting this poem I wrote last year about Autism Awareness Day, which is April 2. If you know someone with autism, today is a great day to acknowledge them.  Tomorrow works, too, or next week, or anytime. If they like deep pressure, give them a big, squeezy hug. If they don’t like to […]

April is….

Autism Awareness Month: Day 1   Dear Reader, You may have noticed that I write about life with my daughter, whose blog name is Bink, on a regular basis. There are poems, and stories, and sometimes pictures of her scribbles, and an occasional photo of her from the back, or from a distance. I am […]

Your Repose

I’m pleased to share this poem, which made its debut yesterday, in the Songs of Eretz Poetry Journal. I’ve included my poet’s notes, which that particular editor requires, as well as his comments. I’m grateful to add another poem to my list of published  work. I’m also thankful for the support of my dear readers! […]

Returning to Autismville

  Good day! Below, the second of three of my poems that are eligible for the Readers Choice Award over at Songs of Eretz.  Here is the poem, along with the Editor’s words and poets notes from the journal: Editor’s Note:  Nominees for the Songs of Eretz Readers Choice Award have been or will be […]

7 AM, Redux

Dear Reader, I’m so pleased to share my first of three finalist poems from the Songs of Eretz poetry contest. Though I didn’t win first place this year, each finalist poem is eligible for the Reader’s Choice Award. Steve Wittenburg Gordon, the Editor of Songs of Eretz, published the poem and the following commentary on […]