At yesterday’s meeting, someone said, 
“This is rare. Jake’s situation is rare. 
Ask any neighbor—they wouldn’t believe a school disenrolled a child with disabilities.” 
Then she said: 
“But here we are.” 

To the parents still standing, still advocating— 
I see you. 

But Here We Are 

They said it was rare. 
Unheard of, in fact. 

Ask your neighbor. 
Ask anyone— 
they wouldn’t believe it. 

A disenrollment. 
Done fast— 
like paper torn along a perforated edge. 

Their tunnel vision. 
No hands held. 
No hands on deck. 

Needs ignored. 
Needs dismissed. 
Complexity buried. 
Empathy left in dust. 

No yellow lights. 
No slow-down signs. 
Just gaslight. 

We tripped. 
We were lured into deep water. 
Came up for air— 
Ignored. 
Shamed. 
Silenced. 
Pushed out. 
Stepped over. 
Misunderstood. 

A long list of unmet needs. 
Parents discriminated against. 
Treading water too long. 

But we stood. 
We asked. 
We told our story— 
again. 

Breathless. 
In line. 
Muscles shaking 
from overuse. 

Still— 
we advocate. 
We meet. 
We fight. 
We rise. 

And then, 
they muttered: 
“But here we are.”