Anthem to ADHD - This Poem is Dedicated to all of those who suffer from ADHD as well as everyone who has ever told me I wouldn't make anything of myself and would never be smart or go anywhere in life, it's a good thing I've never been any good at listening or paying attention. Joke's on you!

"Attention, attention class!" I hear my teacher say.

'Does anyone else see that bird outside the window?' I wonder, 'Wait...that's not relevant to what's going on. I'd better put this thought away.'

Heart beating at the same crazy speed of my brain, I struggle to sit still. My heart sinks when teacher says, "Focus on the work in front of you." Anxiety caused by social standards of what's considered normality, tell me I'm trapped inside the classroom. I am my own victim, a hostage. Held against my will.

Day is over, now I can go home and have fun!
Suddenly I'm filled with a sense of dread, as the teacher informs us that there is tons of homework to be done. Teacher's voice gets drowned out by the noise in my head, as I can't help but notice the same bird I saw from earlier.

I wonder why everyone looks at me weirdly, and talks behind my back. I know that in my own way, I'm just as intelligent as them. Though for the life of me, I can't remember what I learnt in school today. Frustrated with my brain and angry with myself, I use my palm to give my head a whack.

I have -

Attitude, caused by pent up anger at myself.
I'm Distracted once again. Always zoning out mid-lesson, I can't help but wonder 'what is wrong with my head!?'
Hyper focusing specifically, on the things I love. Even though with every subject I know, I'm going to fail. Every verbal criticism, feels like I'm being impaled.   
Different from everyone else around me, christened the social outcast. I'm not ashamed of who I am, God dealt me these cards.

It takes different individuals, to make up our world. My thought process is one of a unique mind. I'm an ADHD baby. I'm one of a kind.
Yes, I admit, I am easily distracted and have an unusual sense of humour. While I have a sparking, spicy personality, yours is one of an enlarged tumour.

You have waaaaay too much spare time on your hands, if the only hobby you have is to spread rumours.

Everyday, my mind is growing stronger still.
Every day, is a new chapter in the book that is my life. My Future is one that is cheery and bright.

My mind is like a computer - there's 17+ tabs open and I have no idea where the music is coming from. All swirling and blending together in my head, operating at one thousand miles an hour!

I am a ball of colourful energy, who finds joy in the simplest and silliest of things. Laughter to the lives of those closest to me, I do bring. At my most happy, I appear childish or may even randomly break into song. You're more than welcome to join in and sing along.

If we're having a conversation and I change subject out of nowhere or misspeak, it's nothing to be concerned about. It's just my Processing Disorder, trying to keep up with my thoughts as they race at crazy speeds.

Should you witness me zone out, and I don't seem to hear what you're saying. Please don't be upset with me or take it personally, believe me when I say that's not the case. My mind has tendencies to wander off into its own little world, it has its very own safe space.

It's what my mind does when it gets overwhelmed, as a result of being overstimulated.

It temporarily shuts down, as it makes an easy escape. Until it is able to reboot itself, only then do I come back to reality.

Because when God was creating me, He got a little too excited and accidently seasoned my brain with too much spice. It's my weird and quirky natural behaviour that makes me as a person, nice.

No matter how much I tried to study, I could never fully concentrate with everything that was going on. It didn't matter what I did or which person I attempted to befriend, I never felt like I belonged.

I taught myself to cope, by living in a Fantasy Land. I would imagine I released and was best seller of an album, that I was the lead singer of my song.

If you ask me what it's like to be me I'd say,
"I'm glad you asked. Let me explain it my way. My thoughts are both related, relevant and completely random, all jumbled up in a mess inside my head. My thoughts never turn off, for long periods of time. It's exhausting, to constantly have a buzzing mind."

Only when you judge me, or refuse to understand all of who I am. Will my emotions rise, and anger get to me resulting in me throwing a temper tantrum.  

- Alexandra Pierotti.