Painted Voice!

By Aaisha Mandal

feel he must have been God’s favorite,

maybe that’s the reason she made him exceptionally different.

In return for his voice, she gifted him a choice

a choice… to express himself better

and explore a medium

to communicate his vibrant imagination like no other

As he set foot in this world

people spelled his Gift as being M-U-T-E

while his parents corrected them-

“Oh No No, it’s spelled S-P-E-C-I-A-L and not m-u-t-e!”

he was five years old

when five fingers dipped in green,

stroked his face on Halloween

little did he know, the fresh green strokes

indicated new beginnings and growth.

As he grew older,

he began experimenting with tints and shades

while others drew landscapes on a page

he preferred unleashing his imagination on his face

and soon paints and makeup became his voice,

a voice that awaited being expressed through speech

was expressed through hues.

As a teen and further ahead

some criticized, some praised

his flair and several platforms let him rise with grace.

Yes, failures did pay a visit at times

yet, his gift helped failures built a better path in his journey

and all he could hear was his inner voice

that let him explore the places,

his silence never would have let him.

You see, our voice can change our world

the voice that resides in our soul

and awaits unleashing the gifts we are born with.

Let’s express our mediums of expression

and celebrate our own gifted voices!

By Aaisha Mandal