There’s got to be an algorithm
to determine
the precise number of physicians
you need to visit
before you become little more
than a heap of diagnoses
imprisoned
in manilla envelopes
stacked
to the ceiling.
***
Steven T. Licardi, LCSW is an Autistic / neurodivergent social worker, science fiction writer, spoken word poet, artist, and performance activist working at the intersections of art and social policy. He travels internationally using the power of storytelling to create empathic dialogue around, to confront the realities of, and to assist communities in dismantling historic narratives surrounding mental health and madness. His ever-evolving performance work in community with others has been creating (im)possible worlds in service of collective liberation. His second collection of poetry, ‘a billion burning dreams’ (STL, 2018) traces his own mental health journey. He hosts a monthly sci-fi newsletter — Cross My Heart And Hope To Write — where he shares original stories exploring themes of madness and mental health: https://thesvenbo.substack.com IG: @thesvenbo X: @thesvenbo
***
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