Neurodivergent
It isn't on my skin
Pockmarks to be concealed
Cuts to be bandaged
Applied soothing ointment
Or on my body
Broken limbs
To be healed
Paraplegia
Blindness
To be accommodated
Diabetes
High blood pressure
To be medicated
You can't see it
Except for the shakes
Of my hands and knees
Brain fog
Phobias
I can't even explain
Fear of heights
Train tracks
The insults come first
Klutz
A few screws loose
Before diagnosis of anxiety
Bipolar disorder
Any attempt to put a finger
On my intangible illness
Jackie Chou
Jackie Chou is a neurodivergent poet residing in sunny Southern California, who writes to capture fragile and ephemeral thoughts and experiences and make them into something meaningful, worthy, and artistic. Her work has been published internationally.