Monday 14 March 2016

Down The Garden Path (March 10, 2016)

It has been 8 years
Since
I received confirmation
Of my acceptance
By the Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP).

A program
Notoriously known
For rejecting
All possible candidates
On general principles.

Although
They will never
Admit to this.

And then
There's me
Less than 3 months
After applying.

The letter came
Saying
"Yes".

During
The psychological assessment
For ODSP
I attempted suicide.

Only stopped
By my inability
To cover over
Guard barrier.

To jump
Before
The northbound traffic
Of the Don Valley Expressway.

Damn you
My fear of heights
For stopping me.

As for
My assessment
It was done
By a transphobic psychiatrist.

(A fact
My housing worker
Confirmed
At the last meeting
With the psychiatrist.

(As the psychiatrist
Did an 180 change
In her attitude
Towards me.)

Despite
All of this
I have 5 years
Before having
To do this
Again.

And that
Deadline past
Three years ago.

As I await
A new package
To arrival
In the mail.

Oh
Lucky me.

Therisa © 2016

No comments:

Featured post

Chance Encounter (March 13, 2017)

July 21, 2006. A date Forever etched Into my memory. As if Done by A laser. By mistake And pure chance. I enter...