There Once was a Girl Named Karen Powers
There once was a girl named Karen Powers
Who wrote poems about animals and flowers.
She was different, they say,
But come what may,
I could read her work for hours.
I’d like to introduce you to a truly gentle spirit; a woman like any other on the outside, but a girl forever on the inside. Her name was Karen Powers.
According to her family, Karen was born in the Bay area of California in September 1956. She was fortunate in so many ways, although you might not consider someone born with Cerebral Palsy as being fortunate.
In an era not so long ago, someone with such a disability, was often spirited away to an institution and never spoken of again. Handicapped offspring were like skeletons in the closet, held there under lock and key like a dirty little secret, but like I said, Karen was fortunate.
She had parents and a family that loved her. Against the advice of doctors and other medical professionals of the day, Karen’s parents insisted on raising her at home and giving her a real life and family, but Karen’s good fortune didn’t stop there.
Her family believed in her, nurturing her dreams and talents. Despite her developmental disability and poor eyesight, she graduated high school even though she only possessed the mentality of a twelve-year old.
With both pity and envy, her family recalls how she was forever frozen at that age where dolls were still appealing and boys were both alluring and icky.
Karen saw the world at its most basic level, but in the most profound way. She saw the beauty in a single flower and vicariously lived the fantasy in a bedtime story, while simultaneously understanding such things as the intricacy and importance of family and friends.
I guess you could say, she saw the best of childhood and adulthood at the same time, but Karen didn’t stop there. She recognized that she had an affection for books and the English language. She discovered that she had a talent for writing poetry and enjoyed it very much. It was this recognition and drive along with her parents’ encouragement that sent her to college where she graduated with an AA degree in English.
Like the flowers Karen rhymes about, she herself sprang from fertile soil and was given love and nurturing to grow to her utmost potential of beauty for all to see.
One person to identify that glowing beauty was David Plant. Karen met David while still in high school where they attended the same special education class.
He was disabled as well, though his was in the milder realm of a learning disability. They were drawn to each other and became fast friends. Each had a love for the arts. Karen was amazed by his ability to paint and draw. David was fascinated by her poetry.
Coming from similar circumstances and backgrounds, they found comfort in each other, like their own private support group, and their friendship grew as they grew. He went on to attend The Academy of Fine Arts while Karen earned a degree of her own. All the while, their friendship stayed strong.
David remembers how much he wanted to ask her to their prom, but was too shy to do so. You see, David’s affection for Karen had grown to something deeper, but Karen would forever see him in the innocent light of friendship.
It was this slant of light that would cause her to turn him down when he proposed marriage many years later. Mind you, Karen wasn’t being cruel or selfish. She was merely reacting to that cemented bond of family that she relied upon.
By the time David wanted to start a family of his own, Karen needed to care for her aging parents. Her father was ill and that was all she cared about. She couldn’t fathom leaving him to run off and get married.
As heartbreaking as that is to you and me, to Karen and David, it was understandable. Their friendship didn’t suffer and the status quo remained the same.
While Karen cared for her father, her poetry blossomed. She filled journals with her poetic observations of animals and dreams, flowers and fun. Hers were happy poems, never dark or forlorn.
She entered her work in contests and ultimately won the Golden Poet Award for her effort.
I write this article not only to shine light on one person overcoming adversity, but also to educate those who are painfully comfortable in their own normalcy.
Karen passed away in November 2008 at the age of 52. Not only does she leave behind a legacy of transcending obstacles, but also a story of true love and the bond of family.
The next time you shake an angry fist at a stranger in traffic or argue with your children over who drank the last of the milk, remember the following poems of Karen Powers and think about what’s really important.
The Flower
There once was a beautiful flower.
The sun was so hot, it wanted to holler.
The gardener picked it,
Because it was in a thicket,
And gave it to a girl for a dollar.
Having Good Friends
It’s so nice to have good friends,
Who think about you every day,
And they keep your worries away.
Having more than one friend is very nice,
Because you’re not thought about just once or twice.
Having friends is a lot of fun,
Because you don’t have to run.
We’ll have a happy day talking in the sun.
The Astronaut
Sometimes I wish I were an Astronaut and go up into space.
My handicaps wouldn’t bother me,
Because I would be floating on air.
So maybe in the millennium,
Someone will have to see,
That a person with a handicap can be an Astronaut,
Just like Sally Ride or maybe even me.
There once was a girl named Karen Powers
Who wrote poems about animals and flowers.
She was different, they say,
But come what may,
I could read her work for hours.
I’d like to introduce you to a truly gentle spirit; a woman like any other on the outside, but a girl forever on the inside. Her name was Karen Powers.
According to her family, Karen was born in the Bay area of California in September 1956. She was fortunate in so many ways, although you might not consider someone born with Cerebral Palsy as being fortunate.
In an era not so long ago, someone with such a disability, was often spirited away to an institution and never spoken of again. Handicapped offspring were like skeletons in the closet, held there under lock and key like a dirty little secret, but like I said, Karen was fortunate.
She had parents and a family that loved her. Against the advice of doctors and other medical professionals of the day, Karen’s parents insisted on raising her at home and giving her a real life and family, but Karen’s good fortune didn’t stop there.
Her family believed in her, nurturing her dreams and talents. Despite her developmental disability and poor eyesight, she graduated high school even though she only possessed the mentality of a twelve-year old.
With both pity and envy, her family recalls how she was forever frozen at that age where dolls were still appealing and boys were both alluring and icky.
Karen saw the world at its most basic level, but in the most profound way. She saw the beauty in a single flower and vicariously lived the fantasy in a bedtime story, while simultaneously understanding such things as the intricacy and importance of family and friends.
I guess you could say, she saw the best of childhood and adulthood at the same time, but Karen didn’t stop there. She recognized that she had an affection for books and the English language. She discovered that she had a talent for writing poetry and enjoyed it very much. It was this recognition and drive along with her parents’ encouragement that sent her to college where she graduated with an AA degree in English.
Like the flowers Karen rhymes about, she herself sprang from fertile soil and was given love and nurturing to grow to her utmost potential of beauty for all to see.
One person to identify that glowing beauty was David Plant. Karen met David while still in high school where they attended the same special education class.
He was disabled as well, though his was in the milder realm of a learning disability. They were drawn to each other and became fast friends. Each had a love for the arts. Karen was amazed by his ability to paint and draw. David was fascinated by her poetry.
Coming from similar circumstances and backgrounds, they found comfort in each other, like their own private support group, and their friendship grew as they grew. He went on to attend The Academy of Fine Arts while Karen earned a degree of her own. All the while, their friendship stayed strong.
David remembers how much he wanted to ask her to their prom, but was too shy to do so. You see, David’s affection for Karen had grown to something deeper, but Karen would forever see him in the innocent light of friendship.
It was this slant of light that would cause her to turn him down when he proposed marriage many years later. Mind you, Karen wasn’t being cruel or selfish. She was merely reacting to that cemented bond of family that she relied upon.
By the time David wanted to start a family of his own, Karen needed to care for her aging parents. Her father was ill and that was all she cared about. She couldn’t fathom leaving him to run off and get married.
As heartbreaking as that is to you and me, to Karen and David, it was understandable. Their friendship didn’t suffer and the status quo remained the same.
While Karen cared for her father, her poetry blossomed. She filled journals with her poetic observations of animals and dreams, flowers and fun. Hers were happy poems, never dark or forlorn.
She entered her work in contests and ultimately won the Golden Poet Award for her effort.
I write this article not only to shine light on one person overcoming adversity, but also to educate those who are painfully comfortable in their own normalcy.
Karen passed away in November 2008 at the age of 52. Not only does she leave behind a legacy of transcending obstacles, but also a story of true love and the bond of family.
The next time you shake an angry fist at a stranger in traffic or argue with your children over who drank the last of the milk, remember the following poems of Karen Powers and think about what’s really important.
The Flower
There once was a beautiful flower.
The sun was so hot, it wanted to holler.
The gardener picked it,
Because it was in a thicket,
And gave it to a girl for a dollar.
Having Good Friends
It’s so nice to have good friends,
Who think about you every day,
And they keep your worries away.
Having more than one friend is very nice,
Because you’re not thought about just once or twice.
Having friends is a lot of fun,
Because you don’t have to run.
We’ll have a happy day talking in the sun.
The Astronaut
Sometimes I wish I were an Astronaut and go up into space.
My handicaps wouldn’t bother me,
Because I would be floating on air.
So maybe in the millennium,
Someone will have to see,
That a person with a handicap can be an Astronaut,
Just like Sally Ride or maybe even me.
Content copyright (c) Jennifer B. Fields 2010-2017