In her new poem “Procrastination”, Jackie Fernandez captures the chaotic inner monologue of an ADHD brain sidetracked by distractions, digital temptations and dopamine hits – offering a witty, all-too-relatable snapshot of modern-day avoidance.
I wake up in the morning
With the day full of things to do
My brain is swirling and listing
Like a bowl of vegan stew.
I lie back down in bed
Staring into space
Scratching my head
My brain thinking:
“It’s too nice in bed …”
“Stay a bit longer …”
“There’s no rush …”
I agree and my brain goes hush.
I do the worst thing ever
I pick up my phone to check the time
I can get away with 15 minutes more here
My brain pops poppers with the greatest cheer.
I check my emails
(That’s work, right?)
I check my texts …
I check my sleep log …
my heart rate …
my steps …
And I fall into the procrastination fog.
I check who won the Oscars
How Arsenal played last night
I Google serial killers from the true crime shows
“What are they doing now?”
“Are they still in prison?”
“Have they shown remorse?”
“Or are they a psychopath
a bully, a scumbag, a thug?”
“Do they still think they are tough
a big shot, still smug?”
I look at the things to buy on my Insta feed
My ADHD brain saying
“That is just what you need.”
I buy it with one click not thinking at all
wasting my money on something so small;
will I use it at all?
My shot of dopamine hitting my brain
Putting me on a temporary positive plain.
I then move on to play a game
Playing with puzzles
Making my moves
Moving up levels which is my main aim
I get frustrated when I run out of lives
I hesitate on the in-app purchases
“Do it!” brain says
I agreed not to spend money on this
“So what?”
I click and spend the money
Forgetting my partner does not find this expense funny.
I check the time
Hours have flown by
I jump out of bed
Trying to get to the list in my head
I feel really bad for not finishing the tasks that mattered
I should’ve never gotten out of bed
My procrastination in tatters.
Published 30 June 2025
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