Boy Genius
My family (mistakenly) thought I was a genius
because I taught myself to read at the age of four.
I could do my ABC’s in reverse
and knew many of the old testament verses by heart.
My parents convinced me that I was special
and inadvertently did me a disservice.
I wasn’t prepared for encountering the real geniuses
who would outwork me in high school and college.
It took many years to get past the complex I’d developed
believing I was better than everyone, including my parents.
Eventually I’d learn how little I actually knew.
Possibly the first real mark of intelligence that I’ve exhibited.
~Edward Austin Robertson
Nuclear Polio Vaccination 