A Poem

There’s a giggle in my belly 

There’s a smile in my soul 

In my dreams I can talk clearly 

And my nerves I can control. 

But in real life there’s a problem. 

You can’t see beneath my skin. 

So you look just on the surface 

and you notice I can’t grin. 

My face can’t make a smile 

and it’s hard to close my eyes. 

I was born with Moebius Syndrome. 

What a name for a disguise. 

‘Cause I am not this syndrome 

 I’m a me that’s much like you 

Though I may look slightly different 

 and I may at times seem blue. 

Some people think that laughter 

must show right on your face, 

but if you lived with Moebius, 

you’d know that's not the case. 

So teach your heart to listen. 

It will hear what you can’t see. 

We will have the greatest friendship 

if you stick around with me. 

~ Joan Fleitas, Ed.D., R.N.