I wrote this poem back in 2019, but never got around to sharing it on here. Its a poem about overwhelm, what it feels like and my favourite way to get out of it.
When life gets busy as it often will,
And you find it impossible to ‘just chill’
Your brain is swirling like a twisting tornado
One giant mess of mixed up Playdoh.
Kids birthday parties this weekend, don’t forget
The presents, the cards and its clarinet
Recital next week, finish early from work
And bring a donation - don’t look like a jerk
Kids space is taken, now onto the house,
The washing, the cooking, did someone say MOUSE!!!!
Get the man in, and sort out the leak
Shit! I haven’t phoned mum this week.
The minutiae of daily life get priority
And then in one moment you think “What about me?”
“Where am I going? Who will I be?”
“Am I good enough, what do they see?”
With questions spinning like circus plates
We wonder is anyone else suffering this fate?
Please take some solace, it isn’t just you
Who finds all this adulting too much to do.
Overwhelm plays out like a busy computer
Writing emails, presentations and a document footer,
And just as you hit “buy now” for the show
All of a sudden, it starts to go slow
“Goddam You!” I shout at the frozen screen
Force quitting as much as I can whilst I scream.
Your brain is just like this Mac or PC
Every thought is a window taking up capacity
When too much is open, no process completes
So start shutting things down - take out a blank sheet.
List all of your ‘windows’ taking up space
Then start with the one that’s easy to face.
Take baby steps until its closed down
(Do you feel your forehead reducing the frown?)
Get rid of the belief that it all needs perfection
And just start yourself moving in any direction.
As your memory’s freed up, you’ll feel a bit lighter
Maybe your outlook starts turning brighter
In future remember, come back to this verse
And exorcise the ‘Too Many Windows’ curse.
Comments