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kristin
Senior Contributor

Poems to share

Common Ground

If you have the eyes to see
Through black and white
Past this mask I must wear
Into many shades of grey
Perhaps you may recognise
That you and I
Have so much in common –
Commonly known as humanity

 

© August 2013

4 REPLIES 4

Re: Poems to share

BTW guys this is something I wrote addressing "normal" people about mental illness - that we are not "abnormal" but actually just human too :-).

Re: Poems to share

Another one, which I wrote at a time when I was terrified of having a complete breakdown and ending up in hospital. I think others might relate to it, even if you don't have kids - just take out the "family" bits.

 

The Client’s Experience

I lay my family’s plight out before you
I feel vulnerable and exposed
I don’t like asking for help but I must
I wait with hope...
You speak
Your judgment yawns wide and cavernous
Our needs vanish from sight, swallowed whole
Drowned in the clamour of misunderstanding
I try to walk on anyway
Feeling angry and despairing

 

I lay my family’s plight out before you
I feel vulnerable and exposed
I don’t like asking for help but I must
I wait with hope and trepidation...
You speak
Your forms do not have boxes which fit my family
Our needs are not quite right
Asking too little / too much, being too sick / too well
I try to walk on anyway
Feeling somehow / everyhow a misfit

 

I lay my family’s plight out before you
I feel vulnerable and exposed
I don’t like asking for help but I must
I wait with little hope and much trepidation...
You speak
Your platitudes rain down from oblivion
Our needs unheard cannot be met
Being offered excruciatingly unhelpful help
I try to walk on anyway
Feeling completely unseen

 

I lay my family’s plight out before you
I feel vulnerable and exposed
I don’t like asking for help but I must
I wait with trepidation...
You speak
Your offer of imperfect help says you “get it”
Our needs are somewhat met
Offered real help after so much searching
I can walk on with some dignity
Feeling relief and gratitude

 

Maybe I can manage, next time
Maybe I can help someone else, next time
Maybe if you hadn’t helped there would be … no next time

 

Kristin © February 2012

Former-Member
Not applicable

Re: Poems to share

Thanks for sharing.

Re: Poems to share

thnx, kristin...acceptance & hope are what we all strive for, with or without mental health issues...
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