When I read the poem “Lisp,” by Allysa Herlein, I felt connected with it on a deeper level that only words can reach. The poem describes the poet’s feelings about her lisp, influenced by the judgement of others. It was beautifully written with an authentic voice that breathes through the page, expressing sadness and frustration at the people who have the audacity to judge and ridicule others for their uniqueness. Though I don't have a lisp, I was raised in a family of Chinese immigrants and thus my pronunciation is not always perfect. Whenever I read out loud in class, or even talk to one of my friends, I constantly fear the snickers that might come if I mispronounce a word, even when they are unlikely to. I hate the feeling of being afraid of my own use of language, or more accurately, how people will react to it.
                As Allysa writes, “They fear oddity/panicking at the individual/who will violate/the common order/regulated by humanity.” I never understood why some people react so negatively to others who are different from them. Although it is a naive vision, I wish that people would accept the way that others speak, dress, act, and look without judgement. If only we could live in a society where we could be ourselves without others, as Allysa writes, “brutally [attacking] anyone who will defy their law.”