About the presenter: Anita Scharis Blom, born and raised in the Netherlands, is living in Sweden. She works as an operation manager for the Workers' Educational Association. She is chairperson of the local stuttering chapter, international contact and former chairperson of the Swedish stuttering association, vice chair of the European League of Stuttering Associations, and member of the advisory board for the International Stuttering Association. She is a national and international speaker on stuttering and has her own stuttering consultant company, and is a leader of national and international children and youth camps. She has stuttered since she was 9 and had a troublesome youth, now inspiring people who stutter of all ages, they can make a difference." Her device is "S-s-sure I s-s-stutter. What are you good at?"

-Discussion-

When life doesn't rhyme — words do

by Anita Blom
from Sweden

Having stuttered for more than 40 years, I have swallowed, spit out, exchanged, skipped, stumbled on, chocked on, used and misused so many words. Luckily I had other outlets -- my soft toys collection, always there for me, listening, accepting me, giving me comfort, my saxophone, that turned my unspoken emotions into sounds people could understand, and my pen.

When my spoken words block, the written words start to flow. When I'm down. When I'm happy. Yes, even when I'm angry. Alone, at parties, in school, at stuttering events. The social media is an amazing outlet, but poetry is what's under my skin. Makes my hand look for a pen, like a baby looking for a mother's breast.

If I read back the poems I wrote throughout the years, I see the changes in me. The ups, the downs, the questions, the answers, the battles, the growth. The words which were my enemies, my bullies, are today my weapons, my support. Today I combine the written words with the spoken words. My words come from emotions and are meant to cause emotions.

One of my poems was published earlier on the ISAD online conference [https://judykuster.net/stut/isad/2004/papers/bridgebuilders7/anita7.html]. I guess that was the most emotional and powerful one, as it made my family understand what had been unsaid so far. Since that, they have been my biggest fans.

Another one I like very much is the following. I still use it to end my presentations, as it shows the different aspects of stuttering.

Some poems are short, some have rhythm and rhyme, some are long with words that come straight from the heart, where one rapeseed is just a tiny yellow flower, but a field full of them is like the sun blinding your eyes.

This poem is a simple observation, quickly written at a children camp:

Others were written with a glint in the eye:

All my poems are my private, collector's items, all copyrighted. As they all contain parts of my inner soul. But by sharing these with you, I hope to inspire you to share your words. For you, and for those who still don't understand.

-Discussion-

SUBMITTED: August 26, 2012

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