murray: I beg to differ. there is quite a bit of good children's literature that takes the point of view of the disabled child, a lot of it by disabled authors, and quite a bit of it very good. maybe as a disabled person, I'm biased on this subject, but as an english scholar i hope that i am not. see, for just two fine examples, books by Jean Little and Sheila Hocken.

Barry: I'm not certain of the tune you are using for this song, but as a poem, it is incredibly powerful, not to mention truthful. I don't want to get into "true confessions" but this seems very close to my own school-age experience. sometimes, as a disabled adult "integrated" into society, i and my peers face the same things today. sometimes the only true comfort you find as a disabled person, is from your peers - people who share your "condition" and who know what your struggles are. It is sad, but true, that family - although they love you - do not fully understand you, and cannot fully provide for your emotional needs. This is nothing against parents of disabled children. Mine were very loving, caring and understanding. it's just that abled people, through no fault of their own, cannot possibly have insight into the heart and mind of a disabled person. you have to live it, to fully understand it. But, back to your song... I don't think i have ever heard a song about disabled children that is so accurate. there is one REALLY bad song done by John Allen Cameron about blind people, and Stompin' Tom has one about wheelchair users. the stompin' tom one is really powerful, too, and is from the point of view of the child. can't remember the name of Tom's song right offhand, but if i do, i'll post it, so you might find it and have a listen. in your song, the stanza that really got to my heart's core was:

The kids all scorn & laugh at me, I don't have a friend You should feel my heart break, I wonder when this will end The mistreatment & abuse I take, it should be a crime But I'm told to ignore it, it happens all of the time.

This is absolutely, terribly, all too real. Like murray, it is hard to give criticism w/out knowing what this song will be used for. I could give my "english lit. expert" critcism of the poem itself, but obviously, since this is a song, and the speaker is a child, grammar, syntax, tone, diction, imagery and meter aren't really an issue. it's teh messge that's important, here. And I think you are telling a very important message w/this song, and telling it well.

regards, Ireland O'Reilly