A poem about neurodivergence called “He”

There was a boy who felt different, a little out of place

He wondered why his feelings stayed inside, without being given space

He was a quiet and shy boy, yet he craved laughs and fun,

One on hand staying within himself, on the other a sociable one

He grew up with a lack of confidence, he doubted his value and worth,

He was born 10 weeks premature, in hospital for weeks from birth

Born only 3lbs small, he was nicknamed ‘Mighty Mouse’,

A scrapper, fighter, punching above his weight, with a heart the size of a house

Clumsy was his middle name, finding new ways to break and bend,

He tried to keep himself to himself, trying not to upset nor offend 

He grew older and became more confident, at least how it seemed from outside,

An ongoing struggle with self acceptance, a mental rollercoaster ride

Never afraid of taking risks, risk of losing sight of what he had,

He has paid for his errors of judgement, with those quiet nights alone and sad

He was so often off in his own world, zoning out stuck up in his head,

Hard for others to understand, would he rather be elsewhere instead?

With a penchant for obsessiveness, hyperfocused is the word,

All or nothing, black and white, full commitment preferred

He was always extremely sensitive, didn’t deal well with doubts or hate,

A bit of a softy on the inside, perhaps some others can relate

Prone to misplacing things, forgetful with numbers and names,

Trying hard to retain information, turning instructions into guessing games

Despite difficulties he always worked hard, fear of failure powerful if tough,

Overcompensating to make things perfect, when ‘good enough’ would have been good enough 

Now a grateful person, for his family, friends and health,

He is trying to keep up good habits, it’s not selfish to look after yourself

Aged 51, a revelation, diagnosed with ADHD,

I know that this will change his life, because that he is me!

Please watch and listen to the author reading out the very personal poem.

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