I'm going to write a series of poems predominantly about two characters,
Skull Boy and Water Baby, (who are based on a couple I saw at the Rites
of Passage Tattoo and Art Festival, which I'll post about in a few
days). Here are the first few poems, they're in a kind of an order. I haven't worked it fully out yet, maybe you can make your own.
And that inspired me to write this one....
Missing you
is writing bad-love poems
with a pick-up line magnetic poetry set
on an empty fridge.
Well I hope that gave you some enjoyment! Please feel free to critique the poems, it is always helpful to know what people think doesn't work.
as always, h xx
After a discussion on depression in a Uni class last week, a girl came up and asked me "Why are you so open about having anxiety?"
I was kind of shocked. Actually, not kind of. I was dumbstruck.
The tone of the question was accusing, disappointed, angry. As if she felt I didn't have the right to speak up about the issues. As if the only reason I was speaking up was to get attention for myself. As if I'd made her uncomfortable, and she wanted an apology.
Well, no.
Why do we have to approach mental health as an abstract and impersonal issue, when that is exactly what it isn't? Why do people assume that when I say I struggle with anxiety and depression, I am about to fall apart and run off the nearest roof?
And why do I speak so openly about it? Because it is normal. It's everyday. Tackling it is just another thing I do, like buying milk and cleaning my teeth. Because everyone should be able to say how they are feeling honestly, without thinking they will get fired, or feeling second-rate. Because having these conversations behind closed doors is what makes depression so hard to detect in the first place. Because believe it or not, I am seriously not the only one in the whole universe who has to deal with it, you probably will too at some point in your life.
When I first really started to feel myself go under, in high school, no-one was talking about mental health as a wide spectrum. If you weren't suicidal, you were happy. I knew that I didn't feel as bad as the really sad kids; those Upwey girls who hung themselves. I also knew I was not as happy as my friends. I assumed that I was either crazy, or subconsciously trying to attract attention, and that I should just keep quiet.
Those feelings delayed me being able to get help by about 5 years. For some people I know, that's more like 10, or 20. What happens if you delay cancer treatment? It develops- the stages change, it gets more serious. This is the same with depression, anxiety, and other mental health issues. The longer the delay, the harder it is to get back on track.
Last year, a friend turned up to work, distraught. That week one of his best mates had been found in the backyard, swinging from a rope. Nobody knew that anything had been wrong- he was married, they had fights like any other couple, but outwardly he was happy. Thankfully this guy survived, after being in a coma for a few days. Those Upwey girls weren't so lucky. Suicide kills more teenagers every year than car accidents. Isn't that worth talking about?
So no, girl in my uni class. I am not an attention seeking brat, or an emo kid crying in the corner. Most days I'm actually incessantly and annoyingly cheerful. Occasionally I am angry, and sometimes I am in between. These are called moods, and regardless of your state of mental health, they are normal. It's a spectrum, and you're on there somewhere too.
Here's a video that sums it all up;
If you need help, call someone:
- beyondblue info line: 1300 22 4636
-Lifeline: 13 11 14
-SuicideLine (VIC): 1300 651 251
Or check out the beyondblue website.
