an adhd story

jumpin' jack flash twitched his way
onto the adhd spectrum.
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
alienated those around him so
that his impulsiveness repulsed
as he smashed the third telly in a row.
stop it stop it stop it! jack screamed,
as mum flew at him all eyes and teeth -
he protested, it's not my fault that
my chemical messengers are fucked
and i somehow ducked the radar
of behavioural screening.

she nearly split spleen trying to fix him.
no e numbers, no ay carumba, less screen time,
lots of fresh air (and broken tellys).
he went through three primary schools
though admittedly, two of the head's could well
have had 'nob' preceding their name.
little bitty jack even threatened to stab
someone with a compass once.

his condition threatened to send the whole family
over the edge. she sighed, gave in,
fed him ritalin twice a day -
and all at once like magic,
jumpin' jack was a different lad.
loss of appetite and insomnia
were but a small price to pay
for the chemical messengers
boosted in his brain.
fixed, they put jack back in
a box and older brother sam

crept in, took the chance -
stole just 'the odd one'
as a cognitive enhancer
and was an a* student in exams.