Melanie Wing, who is part of the iXpress Art program with Aspire WNY has found a unique way to express herself through writing.
Despite not speaking, Melanie has a strong love for words and uses them as a way to communicate her thoughts and feelings. She started writing poetry just last year with the assistance of her art facilitator and has already gained a following for her heartfelt and easily relatable poems.
A poem recently created by Melanie:
My Mother’s Name and a Cat’s Meow”
By Melanie WingIn the world of names, Richelle and Michelle align,
My mother’s name, and a friend of mine, a connection benign.
Shiva, a cat who finds comfort in my hold,
While Stanley, affectionate, his story unfolds.
His meow, a thunder, demanding and loud,
When hunger strikes, his voice, a vibrant crowd.
Shiva’s purr, whispers a gentle, subtle plea,
A lullaby so soft, but only Stanley purrs for me.
Stanley, more reserved, his purr a precious gem,
For in those quiet moments, we’re two as one again.
Melanie is the proud aunt to five nieces and nephews: Jack, Lucy, Reese, Riley, and Tommy. She also shares her home with four dogs and two cats, all of whom she adores: dogs Liberty, Maddie, Moose, and Toby, and cats Stanley and Shiva.
Melanie’s poetry often reflects her experiences with her family, her pets, her love for music as well as her experiences with her Aspire of WNY Day Habilitation outings. Her poems express a range of emotions, from happiness to sadness to humor.
Melanie loves music and often listens to her favorite band, KISS, at the end of a busy day. She has a unique perspective and ability to convey emotions through her poetry, and, like all our amazing Individuals, makes her one of a kind.
Melanie works on her poems with Jeffrey Dietz, an Art Facilitator, in the Dunkirk-Fredonia Collaborative located at Church St. location in Fredonia.