Rolling Fog
A Chronic Journey #8 (Formerly: The Fibro series)
A fog rolling through.
Darkly heavy — cloak of mist.
Damp, sluggish gray cloud.
What does it mean?
Today’s poem is the next within A Chronic Journey (formerly the Fibro Series) and is a Haiku distilling a common symptom — “fibro fog” — down into 3 simple, yet layered lines. Each line connects to the prior.
First, the beginning letter of each line marks the acronym ADhD and is a direct nod to another condition I suffer from—one which unfortunately has some interesting negative impacts with fibromyalgia itself—and already causes me issues with hyper-fixation and sensory overload.
Next, the words themselves portray the blanket of fog—which further covers my minds most days—rolling through to mute my drive and psychological pains. It’s tough forgetting a thought mid-sentence or needing to be reminded of the current topic of conversation, even when I was the last to discuss it. There is this misty dampness which makes thoughts sluggish and words hard to reach.
It’s a struggle I am continuing to work through. I often push myself harder than I should — many others do the same. It’s a sick joke we’ve all been tricked into — now we all just sacrifice our personal wellbeing for a system that doesn’t give a shit about us. I’m hoping the poems I write are my small way of pushing back against that system — reminding ourselves that we must be mindful of our own emotional tanks.
It’s ok and needed to step away at times.
It’s ok and needed to ask for help at times.
It’s ok and needed to admit you aren’t well.
It’s ok to admit limitations, only then can you truly begin to heal and grow.
Nick’s Notes
I'm using poetry, podcasting, and Lives to discuss the intersections of politics, veteran's issues, men's issues, mental health, technology, and so much more. This is a reader supported publication where engagement is encouraged and transparency is key — please consider becoming a paid subscriber today and grow the community!
Nick, sometimes I feel we are onto the same journey.!.. I hear ya, I empathize wit all.❤️🩹 We can do this.
❤️
Thank you Nick for the beautiful poetry and for sharing your journey. ❤️ I don't suffer from fibro (although I have close family members who do), but this one resonated hard with me entirely based on ADHD. In many ways I consider it a superpower, but hoo boy, between the task paralysis and the time blindness, it sure has its own brand of brain fog.