by Lennie Varvarides
Poetising the ‘Neurodivergent Aesthetic’
the thing of it is — full name — thick taste
like full body — guessing its own trajectory
— like blind moves in big spaces bumping
into things — into notion — sharp object
holding space up —holding space hostage:
thought appearing — to thinking —
to think is… knowing this thing/
a concept — fathom — to call brain action
this sphere//flesh —
a spear — hitting bullseye to notion.
About the author:
Lennie Varvarides is a British Cypriot poet living in North London. She is the Founder and main creative of DYSPLA, a London-based art organisation focusing on creating, developing and celebrating the Neurodivergent Aesthetic, the specific style and perspective that stems from living with a neurocognitive functioning that diverges from ‘normal’. This selection of three poems represents a small sample of Lennie’s main thematic obsession - that of Neurodivergence and how cognitive difficulties and differences inform poetry. In her work, she explores how Neurodivergence is made visible in poetic form and if systematic patterns of thought can shape one’s personal Neurodivergent Aesthetic. Lennie’s poetic style is rhythmic with the heavy use of obscure word associations that inhabit a particular Neurodivergence at play. In 2020, Lennie received funding from The Arts Council England to focus on developing her poetic practice and to research the Neurodivergent Aesthetic within her own writing.