I am looking for a poem I once found on the internet while looking for
something else.  It is a poem by a mother with a special needs child. 
The gist of the poem is that when the girl was born (or when mom found
out she was pregnant) Mom bought a pair of dance shoes.  Then she
finds out kid is handicapped and will never dance.  So she sell the
shoes at a garage sale.

Helpful information:
I probably came across this poem while searching for for other
inspiration writings about autism.  So a search that includes "autism"
or "special needs" and poetry might be a good place to start.

I think the last line is something like "I sold my dreams for a
dollar" or "I sold my dream for a quarter" or "I sold my dream for a
buck"

It is possible that someone with the last name Guppy either wrote the
poem or had a poem on the same page as this poem.

Sandy Meyers who writes a lot of poetry about autism did not write this poem.

Can't tell you how frustrated I am that I can't find this now - when I
did only a month ago.  I am tired of looking, so maybe someone else
can take up the project for awhile.

Thanks

Dear nkamom,

Please follow this link to the website Autism Today, where you will
find the poem "Tiny Tap Shoes" by Susan Gould:
http://www.autismtoday.com/creative/tinytapshoes.htm

I'd like to express my gratitude to my fellow researcher Pinkfreud-ga
for pointing this source out to me.

Regards,
Scriptor

Thanks Scriptor (and Pink).  You have relieved a great deal of angst.

By Susan Gould; mom of Bridget Gould (dx: autism spectrum disorder) 


I bought her tiny tap shoes, when she was only one 
Preparing in advance for the many years of fun

 

Dance Recitals, Music lessons, bike rides in a park

Many things were thought of, before the dream went dark

 

They put her on a school bus; those tap shoes never worn

The baby on commute - the mother left to mourn

 

A team of pros will do the job that I was meant to do

Trying to be grateful, but there?s much resentment too. 

 

I wanted to be the one - to hold her hand day long

To teach the ABC?s and the Old MacDonald song

 

Shouldn?t it be I - who can comfort any tears

Knew what hurt, knew what scared, knew what caused the fears. 

 

The piano is now out of tune, it?s keys covered with dust.

The bicycle we?d thought she?d ride, has given way to rust. 

 

A yard sale this October, found those tap shoes on the table

Boldly written was one dollar, on a sticky label. 

 

The family who had found them, was tickled with their buy

Tap shoes never worn, for their little girl to try

 

I watched that family unknowingly, put ?IT? in their trunk

?IT?, was my dream and I sold it for a buck.