After the diagnosis my friend told me about an essay that was published in 1987 titled “Welcome to Holland”. This essay gave me a lot of comfort, peace and inspiration. I have always dabbled in poetry and felt that this essay could use a little update. Below is my poem A Journey to An Atypical Land which was inspired by Welcome to Holland.

A Journey to An Atypical Land

The bags are all packed and the whole thing is planned.
We’re off on a trip to a typical land.

We land and we’re met with a great revelation,
this nation was not the proposed destination.

The language is one that we don’t understand,
the food is unusual; spongy and bland.

The roads are not straight but they circle around.
This town is compact and it’s drowning in sound.

This land is hectic and the stress is immense.
This land is chaotic. This place is intense.

But baby don’t worry, you’re not here alone,
this place is unknown, but we’ll make it our own.

We’ll study the people who’ve lived here before.
We’ll find some musicians, inventors and more.

We’ll see many artists and authors we know,
and scientists Einstein and Grandin will show,

that there is no limit to what you can do.
There is a promising future for you.

We’ll make some new friends who will show us the way,
we’ll learn to relax, to connect and to play.

We’ll hike in the mountains and lay by the shores,
we’ll find our escape in the tranquil outdoors.

We’ll silence the noise that surrounds this new place,
we’ll cherish the little things found in this space.

We’ll grow with each other. We’ll laugh and not stress,
we’ll always remember you’re different – not less.

We’ll welcome each conquest and over the years,
we’ll watch as each challenge in time disappears.

And though it is not the same trip that we planned,
We’ll learn to embrace this atypical land.