At Cumberland Head Elementary

National Poetry Month

In April 2016, a fifth-grade teacher at the Cumberland Head Elementary School in Plattsburgh, New York gave their students an assignment in honor of National Poetry Month. The children had to write a poem about themselves that used the phrase “I am” at least every few lines. They also had to include 18 prompts like “I see,” “I feel,” and “I hear.”

Benjamin Giroux Was Excited

Poem of Loneliness and Isolation 

Benjamin Giroux, who was then ten years old, was excited by the assignment and couldn’t wait to get started. His excitement surprised his parents, for the boy has Asperger’s syndrome and rarely shows emotion. After several hours of work, he showed his poem to his parents. At first, they were upset by the loneliness and isolation described in the poem. After rereading the poem, though, they realized that Benjamin was not just bemoaning his differences. Instead, he was acknowledging them. He also expressed awareness that everybody is different in their own way, and that everybody feels out of place because of their differences. In his poem, Benjamin yearned to have people accept and embrace each other’s differences.

Posted for Encouragement

Benjamin was supposed to read the poem aloud in class the next day. Unfortunately, he suffered an anxiety attack and had to stay home. He firmly believed that his poem wasn’t any good. His father posted the poem on Facebook in the hopes that friends and relatives would post encouraging comments. Some people with the National Autism Association saw the poem and were so impressed, that they posted it on their own website. Thousands of visitors read the poem and commented on how it inspired them. Some of those visitors have contacted Benjamin and his parents to thank them for the poem:

Poem by 10 year old Benjamin 

I Am Odd, I Am New”

I am odd, I am new
I wonder if you are too
I hear voices in the air
I see you don’t, and that’s not fair
I want to not feel blue

I am odd, I am new
I pretend that you are too
I feel like a boy in outer space
I touch the stars and feel out of place
I worry what others might think
I cry when people laugh, it makes me shrink

I am odd, I am new
I understand now that so are you
I say I “feel like a castaway”
I dream of a day that that’s okay
I try to fit in
I hope that someday I do
I am odd, I am new.

The Poem Struck a Major Chord

Anti-Bullying Campaign

“I Am Odd, I Am New” struck a major chord in people and quickly went viral. It inspired the National Autism Association to develop an anti-bullying campaign with the hashtag #oddtoo. The organization defines bullying as behavior that “hurts, harms or humiliates” another person. The bully usually has more physical or social power than their victim, which limits the latter’s ability to fight back effectively. According to one study, about 63 percent of autistic children between 6 to 15 have been bullied at some point.

A Muse for Musicians

As Benjamin himself reports on his Facebook page, his poem has inspired some musicians. Katharine Seaton composed a song called “Islands” about the isolation that incorporated some of the words from Benjamin’s poem. In Bolton, Ontario, a kid band called Anzchannel set “I Am Odd, I Am New” to music. The band also made a video that includes shots of Benjamin playing the drums.

Bravery, Courage, and Honesty

Providing Means Expression

While Benjamin’s teacher deserves credit for providing him with the opportunity and means to express himself, Benjamin made the most of that opportunity. He could have chosen a safer and less meaningful topic for his poem – but he did the brave thing instead. People can sense the courage and honesty behind “I Am Odd, I Am New,” which is why it has attracted so much attention. Here’s hoping Benjamin has more poems in him.