Grade 8
PoetryWritingWILLA JONES (she, they, mur, prrpt) is autistic, queer, and
alterhuman. She lives in Utah and spends part of her time in
Idaho. They enjoy skiing, hiking, drawing, reading, and spending
time with their family (Mom, Da, Sister, and Fur Brothers, cat and
dog). This is her first published work.
I don’t remember what month it was
or what time of day it was
or what the others were doing.
The emotion is the only memorable thing about that day.
This emotion will be hard to explain to you
if you’re neurotypical.
It doesn’t even have a real name.
This emotion is unique to neurodivergence,
if not only to autism.
I’ll try to explain.
I stim.
I felt orange,
yellow,
blue,
purple.
I felt like my body was too small to contain the feeling,
but in a good way.
It feels safe.
Humming.
Stimming.
skipping.
Feeling fully free
and fully feline.
This boundlessness,
so much so that words fail to describe.
Wishing I could shift into whatever form.
UNBOUND
by what society expects.
Free.
Free.
free.
Cats.
Cats,
I am obsessed with them.
Why cats?
Maybe because my old cat used to sleep in my crib with me,
and we were so close I think of her as a second mom.
Maybe it’s just coincidence.
Maybe it’s fate.
Maybe because I am them and they are me.
Fast as a cheetah.
Strong as a tiger.
Fierce as an anthill lion.
Free as an ocelot.
Even for just, one, moment.
Originally published in 826 National’s 2025 publication UNBOUND: The Power and Possibility of Young Writers’ Emotions
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