I Am Depression

I come without warning, in a darkness descending,

Placing you at risk, toward a despair unending,

Battled and fatigued I joust you about,

And fill you with all kinds of tremulous doubt.

I make you wake up with horrendous thoughts,

A season like this I make you all out of sorts,

All you’ll want to do is go straight back to sleep,

To go to that place where unconscious is deep.

When it’s time to go out, I make you horribly aware,

At times like this you’ll have little confidence to spare,

And within the crowd you may feel desperately alone,

I am Depression and I cause you to groan.

You wonder why you have no appetite for food,

A life turned upside down and no stability of mood,

Weight loss or weight gain beyond your will,

I have come in to make you anything but still.

Some of the hours seem like a whole day,

The clock ticks so slowly, the hands seem to stay,

One day like this and you’ll know me so well,

One day like this and you’ll be desperate for a spell.

I am Depression and in the grip of me,

There’s every reason for you to doubt what is to be,

With the present, as it is, so incredibly unsure,

No wonder you’re in the mood to despondently deplore.

I am Depression and I’m nothing to dismiss,

Anybody who would, would be horribly remiss,

I’m a serious problem, you better be sure,

Don’t take me lightly, or you’ll get more.

The earlier you get to me and shake me loose,

The better the chance you have of coming to a truce,

I’m to be respected—don’t take your chances with me,

Leave me unattended and I’ll have a spree.

Lucky these days mental illness’s more than ever okay,

You’ll need all the support you can get, so don’t delay,

Go see your doctor, a friend, and a counsellor too,

‘Meds’ and prayer help so much when we are blue.

I am Depression and if only you can know,

I hold nothing against you even though you are low,

Later you will see there’s no reason to self-condemn,

Later you will see you have always been a gem.

I am Depression and once you’ve known me,

You may have more compassion to simply agree,

That many in this life are scourged beyond reason,

Then we hope they, too, can get through such a season.

© 2012 S. J. Wickham.