KNEE BRACE PRESS

A place for stories about chronic illness, disability, mental health, and neurodivergence.

To My Future Guide Dog

By 

I hope you have a cute name
Scout or Wishbone
Flanders or Doug
Rick or Trapper.

Be patient  
when I hesitate
crossing a street     climbing stairs
taking the bus.

When I don’t want to smile  
I know you’ll make me
sitting beside me
head on my pj-clad knee
or a slippered foot.

Don’t get mad  
if I am scared at first.

Please don’t hate the boots     sweaters  
jackets and bandanas
bowties and Halloween costumes

It may look like I’m having a meltdown  
every second,
I just don’t want to mess this up.

It’s hard for me to say
I need help.

Contributor

  • Tyler R. Harris is a blind queer woman from Dundas, Ontario, Canada. She holds an undergrad and a Masters in History from McMaster University and a Masters in Creative Writing from the University of Gloucestershire. She attended the Humber School for Writers where she worked on her memoir, “Something Someday,” with Canadian author Diane Schomperlan. She is currently doing her PhD in Poetry at the University of Gloucestershire — examining sexual awakenings from the perspective of a blind woman in a collection called “Read My Body Like Braille.” Her work has appeared in the University of Gloucestershire anthology “Unbreakable,” in Arc Poetry Magazine and on the Swim Press blog.