Astonishing Depth, Hidden Difference

V. Hiser 07/31/2025

Anxiety, they said… a long time ago.

Depression? Could be. Let’s try this.

Hey, wait a minute, I think this is it.

Did we get it this time? Or are things still amiss?

All this time, you just kind of knew.

Diagnosed? Not officially, but it was always the joke.

Had trouble with focus, attention, and stuff. But,

Diagnosis? Nah. That would just make you broke.

Anyone who sits near you in a meeting,

Didn’t doubt it for one single minute.

Hands never still, feet on the move.

Dance in your seat, just to try to stay in it.

And what will they think when you tell them it’s true?

Doesn’t everyone seem to have that right now?

Having it just seems to provide an excuse.

Do better, try harder, we know you know how.

Answers are, quite often, not the solution.

Diagnosis does not make the challenges less.

Having a label does not fix all the issues at hand.

Diagnosis does make your life any less of a mess.

A million and one tasks are all in the works.

Done? Not one. Let’s start something new.

Hey, I know what we can do next.

Did we remember to do that thing we needed to do?

Answering emails? Sometimes that can get done.

Dialing the phone to make an appointment?

Ha! That is a horrible task.

Days and days can go by even with good intent.

Appearing attentive in a great superpower.

“Did you hear what I said?”

“Have you been listening at all?”

Do-dee-do…What? Crap! You were lost in your head.

Any number of tabs can be open in there.

Divided attention is one constant struggle.

Having to decide where to focus can be impossible to do.

Doing too many things at once causes lots of trouble.

All things are half done and nothing’s done well in your eyes.

Doing things perfectly or not at all is a curse.

How can this be perfect? You are always a mess.

Do others see the invisible errors that make you feel worse?

Always evaluating every move that you make.

Doing things again or avoiding starting at all.

Having constant doubts, you could do anything right.

Dreading doing things poorly makes you a sultan of stall.

Avoiding most tasks is a way that you cope.

Dreading the tasks hanging over your head?

Have piles of work stacked up on your desk?

Doom scroll or find a rabbit hole to visit instead.

A group of hyenas is called a cackle.

Did you know Australia is wider than the moon?

Hippopotomonstosesquippedaliophobia is the fear of long words.

Doing random searching can get you through a whole afternoon.

Alright, this has gone on long enough.

Do you see anything odd about the way this poem went?

Have you discovered the pattern I tried to create?

Don’t worry if not, it is more about what it meant.