Dea’s Mirror

When I’m tempted to walk with my eyes looking down;
when the load on my mind makes my brow cringe and frown;
when all I can hear are the screams of my nerves;
I look in the mirror and see what I’m worth.

For I’ve come to know that these things that I feel
are happening right now; and they are quite real.
So I gaze at myself with wonder and awe
at my strength to survive when my nerves are so raw.

Physical scars are so easy to see
but no one can see the scars inside me.
But even I, when I’m feeling so down
know that my feet are firmly on ground.

And the joys of the times when I feel pretty good
are wondrous events - there’s no time to brood.
I’ll get on with life - my loves and my fears
and despite all the pain, I’ll hold myself dear.

To my friend, Dea…

Denial Erodes Acceptance.
Of this fact, I am positive!

Dea was a patient in a psychiatric hospital at the same time as me. She asked me to write a poem for and about her. When I presented this to her about an hour later, her comment was, “How did you know this is how I was feeling?” My response was, “Because that’s how I feel too!”

Page created: Tuesday, 11 December 2001