Terry Miller | + Follow Poet |
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Schizophrenia

I lived once in a land before the light
where shadows ruled and terror was the king
Sable dark did fall upon me every night
and flittermouse did brush me with their wing.

There was no day to shine away the fear
so terror ruled, malignant, endless black;
eyes closed or open, demons still appear
and, as in life, to stab me in the back.

Darkness in my head, darkness in my soul,
and in them both, the devils now reside;
what little left of me has lost control.
Or did they simply ask, and I complied?

I still live in a land without the light;
where I can’t tell the daytime from the night.

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Christine Watts Date: 8/26/2025 9:47:00 PM Hi Terry, A very compelling poem, well written and demonstrates a troubled mind In a readable way Well done on your win Cheers Christine Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 9/1/2025 12:51:00 AM Thank you Christine

Valsa George Date: 8/21/2025 2:58:00 AM This state of mind is so shattering. The two groups I pity most are lunatics and those affected by dementia. When brian goes into strike, life becomes totally dark. You have powerfully delineated the plight of a lunatic. Congratulations dear Terry on your great win in the Marathon. Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 9/1/2025 12:51:00 AM Thank you Valsa

Susan Ashley Date: 8/11/2025 12:29:00 PM Dear Terry, your poem is full of potent poetic expression and vivid imagery that reaches in to fill the reader with the dark angst experienced by the speaker. A gripping piece, a haunting piece, your couplet is heartbreaking. What an agony to endure for the person with schizophrenia and for their loved ones. An impactful soul-baring piece. Congratulations for your success in Mark's contest. Warmest wishes.. ~Susan Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/12/2025 2:41:00 AM Thank you so much Susan

Gary Radice Date: 8/9/2025 10:09:00 PM Your masterful poem Terry pulls no punches. I worked within the field of mental health and this poem nails the symptoms and upset. Cheers - Gary Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/12/2025 2:42:00 AM Thank you Gary, I appreciate your comments

Andrea Dietrich Date: 8/9/2025 9:31:00 AM wow, so it was your mom!! I see you entered this and won in the marathon. Way to go, Terry!! Congratulations Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/12/2025 2:42:00 AM Thank you Andrea

Mark Toney Date: 8/8/2025 12:27:00 PM Terry, congratulations on your top 10 win on Mile 4 of my 2025 Poetry Marathon Contest. Your poem displays the insidiousness of schizophrenia that mostly strikes young ones in their late teens to early 30s. Keep your running shoes on, because Mile 5 has already started. Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/9/2025 7:09:00 AM Thank you Mark, I somehow missed the start of this race, I will try to catch up

Rowena Velasco Date: 8/7/2025 11:02:00 PM Haunting and vivid — it pulls you into a darkness that feels endless, both outside and inside. Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/9/2025 7:10:00 AM Thank you Rowena

Andrea Dietrich Date: 8/6/2025 1:17:00 PM Read your comment to Caycay, so I realize it's not about you. My dad was this. It was the 50's and they had nothing but electric shock therapy, so my mom needed to divorce him and get her 4 daughters back to her home state. My father was so intelligent when my mother first met him, but during his time as a nurse in Korea, this illness came out in him and he returned to my mother a different person. Thankfully my sisters and I did not get it. I await the day I see my dad in heaven (normal again) Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/9/2025 7:12:00 AM It was my Mother for me, I was lucky, I left and joined the military when I was 15, never ever went back, My three sisters not so lucky

CayCay Jennings Date: 8/6/2025 4:18:00 AM It's hard to ignore that a poem's subject may be personal & just comment on the poem. BUT, I deflate a bit when my poem is overlooked & comments focus on my wellbeing. That sounds like I'm a rude pants, but I'm not, people can do both! Poem is brilliant, superbly crafted with various shades of the illness, as I've witnessed them in my life, impacting the reader. This is a mental illness with varying degrees of hell & I regret if you or 'yours' lives with it. My prayers you would have. CayCay Login to Reply Terry Miller Date: 8/6/2025 7:27:00 AM It is based not on myself but on someone I once knew who suffered. I tried writing this in the third person, but it hits much harder in the first person, where you can express the inner conflicts rather than being an outside observer. But thank you for your concern. I agree with your opening statement, and thank you for reading and for commenting. I appreciate it