Alliteration, allegory and analogies are not strangers to the scenic stanzas of one inspirational Natchez poet with an enduring disability.

Bennie Alexander Jr., 41, was diagnosed with spastic cerebral palsy at birth, but he has managed to turn his disability into a muse for is poetry.

Alexander began his poetic journey in high school, in his hometown of Chicago.

“My first poem made me realize that I had a talent, and I understood that I was capable of anything,” Alexander said.

Twenty years later, he continues to refine his literary passion at his parents’ house on New Street in Natchez.

“I love to write about my daily experiences, including my struggles with cerebral palsy,” he said.

His supportive parents, Mary and Bennie Alexander Sr., spend time with their son while he writes.

“It is a great bonding experience, and I am blessed to have a son like Bennie with such great talent,” Mary Alexander said.

Disabilities are often difficult for families to accept, but the Alexanders have a different perspective.

“I don’t see his disability as a handicap,” said Bennie Alexander Sr. “Everyone is different when they are born, and I am more than happy to have a talented son like Bennie.”

An afternoon of writing, just like Bennie enjoyed Monday, is no small feat. But it is a dream.

“Even though I have this disability, I will not let it hinder me from my dreams,” he said.