At no point in my life have I ever thought of myself as a poet. Most days I could not write poetry to save my life. But once in a while – when in a highly charged emotional state – something that resembles poetry drips from the point of my pencil. None of this has ever been published – or even submitted anywhere – but I thought I’d toss out a few pieces and see if they float. This one could be considered the flip side of the coin for Walls.
Lost in the Fog
Depression is a fog;
A thick grey blanket that steals in.
A few wisps at first
That wrap around your feet unnoticed.
Then rise higher, thicker
Until you are enveloped, trapped, lost.
You find you are alone,
You know not the way back home.
You have no direction;
All paths are swallowed by the mist.
You are lost!
You need another.
Someone on the right path with a light,
Providing direction.
You move toward the light hopefully
And find a savior.
Who guides you out of the low lands
Where wood is sodden.
On the high ground mists are thin
And firewood dry.
Build a bright, blazing campfire
And drive away the fog.
Keep your fire stoked.
Gather crisp branches and add their worth.
Fire dispels the fog.
The heat drives back the chilling mists
Warming your bones
And bringing joy to your soul again.
Keep your fire stoked,
Allow it to serve as a light for others
Who have lost their way.
Watch for travelers, trapped in the fog,
And repay your debt.
- The Silent Killer by Holly Moncreiff
- Fighting Clinical Depression published by HealthMad.
- A Sure Formula for Happiness published by HealthMad.
This does much more than “resemble” poetry, Allan. It is poetry. And it does a beautiful job of using real-world fire-building techniques to connect self-help with helping others. I hope you will submit it somewhere.
Thank you, Charles. I occasionally see/hear poets talking about poetry in its various forms; constructs, meter, rhyming… it’s all very confusing to a simple word wrangler like me.
Great last line – about repaying your debt and guiding others. I like it, Doug. Please do post some more, or consider shopping a poem or two around for publication! 🙂
Thanks, Lisa. I have a few more that survived. These have lived in a dusty old drawer of my hard drive for a long time, never knew if they were any good. I’ve never even considered submitting them for publication. I’ll have to poke around and see who is looking for poetry. Thanks for the encouragement.
Shared this one out, Doug. The one thing people keep reminding me, and I have to say to myself, that the savior has to be myself, first, to then allow any other help in.
Thanks for being one of those “others” for me.
(Squints and scrunches his mouth around to the side) Hmmm…
Yeah, I can see that: you have to be willing to accept help for anyone to help you. But, it is much easier to recognize the need if someone you trust helps you to see what’s happening. When I went through it, I had no idea what was happening. I rationalized my behavior, blamed others, was basically clueless. A co-worker recognized the signs, pulled me aside and explained that she had been through it too and encouraged me to seek counseling. Now. Had she not intervened, I probably would not have survived. She was my beacon. Now I try to serve as a beacon for others. But, those who refuse to admit they have a problem can not be helped.
This poem really resonates with me because I suffered from depression for years and it does both sneak in slowly and it does cut off one’s ‘vision’. Great poetry Allan. I really liked this. I think a lot of people with depression would find this comforting and helpful.
Thank you, Richard.
Great poem Doug…..I agree with everyone else that you should submit it somewhere….there are so, so many who could relate to it.
Thanks for the encouragement, Mary.
If anyone has a suggestion as to where it might be accepted, I’d be happy to pursue it. I know absolutely nothing about the world of poetry. I fear that having been “published” here would disqualify it for publication anywhere else… but maybe not
Beautiful poem, Doug. I’m sure many people will be able to relate to it.
Depression has stolen way too many of us. I’ve lost a grandfather and two friends to this horrible disease.
Thank you for the encouragement, Holli. Depression’s effects are made all the worse by the social view that it’s something we can “shake off”. People don’t get the help they need in time. For many, just reading a good book on it can head off much of the damage, others need counseling to get out of the quagmire. Thank you for visiting and for your comment.