"When The Lights Go Out"
Throughout my bloodstream flow the ashy remains
Of the fire that once burned within me
Dim lighting in a bright room
Dim lighting in a bright room
Enclosed in my beige-walled prison
My body traumatized by the attack of pain
My soul crumbles like dust
Thinking about hopes and dreams
Leaves me with a stack of bitter regrets
With the taste of rotted meat on my tongue
I'm tired of smiling and laughing
I'm tired of smiling and laughing
Like myself, pieces of glass are shattered
This poem in no way is meant to glorify mental illness. I've struggled with mental illness for my entire life. If you are struggling, please know there is help out there. For many people, mental illness is best managed with medication, therapy, and lifestyle changes, like getting the right amount of nutrients and exercise. Complementary medicine also helps some people. Complementary medicine can be aromatherapy, light therapy, acupuncture, reflexology, meditation, biofeedback, massage therapy, among many other treatments available to people who may benefit from them. Unfortunately, complementary medicine is rarely covered by insurance.
If you are in crisis, text the Crisis Text Line to talk to trained counselors about what's on your mind. text "HOME” to 741741. It's free, available 24/7, and confidential.
If you feel like suicide, please know that you are important. Chat online at http://www.imalive.org.
The National Suicide Prevention Hotline number is 1-800-273-8255 or go to https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/.
Call 1-800-656-4673 or live chat with RAINN (Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network) if you need to talk. Visit http://rainn.org for a live chat.
I can vouch for the Text Crisis Text Line, as I've used it twice, and the RAINN chat online, as I've used it three times.
Suicide hotlines for other countries can be found here.
