Wanted: Just a Little Compassion
I’m a person who suffers from
The disease of depression
And death is often a welcome friend.
Disorder, though, is what it’s called
Suggesting that I can fix
My “problem” and move on, switch my thinking
That’s all I need to do,
Still I’m asked:
“What’s wrong with you?”
“Why are you so sad?”
“You have no reason to be…”
Even though the world is full of death
There’s no reason I should dwell on it the way I do
It’s morbid! Not normal! Crazy!
But it’s not my fault
It’s in my body and it changes and cycles
It affects my mind, the way I think, my soul.
I would love to fix it
Change the way I think, not cry so easily
Or be so offended at times, but it’s tough!
Almost, no not almost,
It’s entirely impossible for me to switch the way I think!
Because there’s something happening
That is not at ease in my being
My body’s systems are unbalanced
And my mind is uncontrollably affected by this disease
Is there a cure for madness?
A cure for depression, anxiety, mania?
There’s medication, but does it heal?
Does it cure the disease?
Everyone around me thinks
It is this magical medicine, but it’s not
It helps a little, but it doesn’t cure.
Depression is a fatal disease
More than fifty percent of all clinically depressed people
Will ultimately die, from suicide.
Yet no one wants to talk about it, because it can be prevented
And if a depressed person
Finally dies from this disease, from suicide,
Well, it’s her fault, she gave up.
And others out there better get over it
Or they’ll die, too.
I wonder if we would
Expect a cancer patient or diabetic
To get over it, to move on, to change her thinking?
No, we have compassion for those who are suffering from such
Awful and devastating diseases, and that’s all we want-
Just a little compassion.
