In honor of National Poetry Month, we’ve compiled a collection of poems written by some of the writers within our community.
Spoken to a Friend
By Annie Parsell-Wasik
I know too much, I’ve seen too much, I don’t know enough. I’m not strong enough…
Why can’t I be kind to myself? I spin toxicity like a spider but have no power to not get stuck in my own web of perceptions about myself. Evolution fails me. Change is my constant nemesis.
Pain/trauma/grief makes you have a magnifying glass on all the could haves, want tos, never gonna haves…Mental illness, personality disorders they multiply the
Should have, fault lines, rage filled want for retribution that is never going to come.
I am a prisoner and executioner of my own mind. I struggle to find the beauty inside, outside, upside, all I have are downsides…
I must downsize. Smaller space, bigger trauma and add a dash more…Oops!! that’s a lot of grief…! I am the duality of strong but weak.
Brand New Start
By Tom Cramer
I’ve been trying to kick them down with force
I’ve been trying to break these walls with all I have in me
I’ve been trying to use all my strength
To find a way
Back to me
Then a small whisper from the heavens above
Said slow down my child
You are enough
You don’t have to hide who you are anymore
Just open your eyes
And open the door
To a brand new place where you are completely free
From all the pain and all the anxiety
To a world where you love yourself for exactly who you are
To a place where you no longer need to scream
All you need to do is a take a breath and breathe
You no longer need to pound the pavement to reach the stars
Just be gentle with yourself
And that will create a brand new start
I’ve been taking up arrows and putting on my boots
Until I realized in this game of life that is how you lose
You need to be strong and you need to be tough
But the best thing you can do
Is remind yourself that you are enough
You don’t get to where you’re going by yelling out loud
You don’t get to where you’re going by making a sound
You find it within you every day that you were born to do this
and you were born to shine
And now is the time to take your place
And remind yourself you can’t be replaced
God is saying slow down child
God is saying no more
The door has been opened
The door to a brand new start
Why did the chicken cross the road? To get from a high to a low.
By Liz Orvis
Once upon a time in a farm far away
Lived one special chicken in the bails full of hay
This chicken was special, she was one of a kind
Because something unusual took place in her mind
Oh yes, she was different, from all of her peers
But it wasn’t her eyes, her nose, or her ears
She had a disorder that affected her brain
It was called bipolar, and it could be a big drain
It could cause her mood to plummet right down
And then lift her back up, like a night on the town
When she was down, things were really, really hard
She’d walk around smashing the eggs in the yard
She dreamed of being cooked, with a side of fresh corn
She wanted to give up, she started to mourn
Her friends would encourage her, tell her life’s not that bad
In fact, come to think of it, it’s totally rad
But the chicken was depressed, she didn’t understand
Until things would change, they were anything but bland
She was angry at everyone, if it made sense or not
Like a deep fried drumstick, she was hot, hot, hot!
And then, out of nowhere, she was riding so high
She was so incredibly happy, and she didn’t know why
And that’s when the packages started to come
A big water bottle as warm as the sun
A nice egg rotator to keep her eggs fresh
A hand knitted blanket, now aren’t those the best?!
A lifetime supply of delicious bird feed
And a darling new hat, what else could you need?
Every new package was a surprise and brought joy
But her funds, they were dwindling, oh no, oh boy!
She was happy and erratic running everywhere she went
She stopped sleeping or resting in the barn or a tent
But after a couple days, the happiness dissipated
She was annoyed by everyone and easily irritated
Things used to be great but seemed way less fun
And she was incredibly angry with ev-er-y-one
She still couldn’t sleep, but was bored and annoyed
She was constantly reminded why she wasn’t employed
They increased her meds, which increased side effects
Like gaining some weight and feeling depressed
It’s just like they say, what goes up must come down
And suddenly she was the saddest chicken in town
She wanted to be the star in chicken parmesan
Or chicken marsala, she just wanted to be gone
But she reached out for help to her amazing support team
And they showed her that things weren’t as bad as they seemed
And eventually she leveled out and could just be herself
And the lessons she learned were worth her weight in health
She was funny, and kind, and laid lots of eggs
She was grateful for all of these regular days
Because bipolar is sucky but she can have a good life
And spend all her time with the barn’s wildlife
She was proud of who she was, while different for sure
For her brain was smart and her heart was pure
And she wants you to know if you have bipolar, too
You are okay as you are, and she’s so proud of you