By Jo Ann Smith | Featured Contributor
Never a place one wants to be
especially alone
my lifeline confined to the parking lot
in a hurry they weigh me
no time to remove shoes
extra layers glasses ring watch
annoyed, my weight will be inflated
I am wheeled to a small sterile room
dominated by a single bed
intimidating medical charts are
thumb tacked in random order to lime green walls
I eagerly respond to you so I can lie down
By Brandon Koebernik | Featured Contributor
Mom was schizophrenic.
Dad was bipolar.
What could I get from it?
I found out as I got older.
It started when I joined the military,
Army National Guard.
I don’t believe I was wary,
Of how things could get so hard.
A lot of time had passed.
I started noticing changes,
To the point where I wore a mask,
To hide all of the passing phases.
By Riya Bhatia | Featured Contributor
Note from Author: This was written when I was experiencing one of my worst anxiety attacks. Instead of running away from it, I decided to embrace it and use my words as a means of understanding myself better.
* * *
My breath trembles
as the room seems to be
consuming my soul,
The walls are closing in
and my thoughts are
consuming me whole,
Sweat and tears
dim the shine
and rosiness of my face,
And all they can say
is keep picturing yourself
in a better place,
I’m crippled with fear
and can’t think
beyond this second,
How do I move on
and when will this ever end,
Breathe. Breathe. Breathe.
Hold it for a few seconds.
Keep breathing.
It’ll be alright,
The day will get better
and the sun will shine bright.
My heart starts to race
as tears stream down my cheek,
I can’t concentrate
on a single thing
and keep calling myself weak,
You’re not like this,
you’re strong,
you can do it,
but you’re all wrong,
Focus. Focus. Focus.
Keep focusing on your goals,
it’ll be be okay,
and not take very long.
I’m dizzy and nauseous,
fearful and upset,
how could I let this
happen to myself,
I want to go back to when I was twelve.
◊
By Chris Reed | Featured Contributor
James Hillman told me
the demons will come
at night in old age,
and will settle
on my bed,
on my chest,
in my hair,
in my head,
in my guts,
and prod me awake.
Befriend them he says.
They are your demons.
They are here to help.
And know you are
enough worn with years
to be not afraid.
Drink tea.
Pay heed.
Converse.
If you look them in the eye,
know you’ll soon be gone,
so don’t care what they think,
they will give you quarter
and disarm.
Then you can hold them close,
like children,
with sharp claws and teeth,
and comfort them.
For their torments are yours;
their shadows are your shadows.
Hand in hand in the night,
no one is afraid of the dark.
