Zip about, no time to waste
Flow in motion
Don’t slow, don’t stall
Caffeine calm, try to do it all
Scrappy, sharp, dukes up
Stubborn, defiant
Learning how to bend
Can’t break down
Hiding deep, mask firm
Apologies never come easy
So hard just to say
Tricky to be human
Tricky to be at all
Still trying on parts
Holding so much
Teeth grind smooth
Caring too much
Frustration boils over
Damage left in the wake
Is it a fixable mistake?
Hope so, peek in the door
Hope so, try another take
Headphones pumping vitamin beats
Battling the static of the brain
To regulate the frequency of
The neurodivergent frame
Day after day
The price is paid
Nature and Nurture
Made this way
Don’t you think,
Rather,
We are a bit the same?
-Melissa Donley