Anatomy of Melancholy

Melancholy comes to some of us oftentimes in fall. Days descend sooner into darkness; winter nears. Perhaps melancholy has to do with lack of sunlight, but no, it’s not that easy to define. Additionally there is a quality of it which is kin to nostalgia - the wistfulness of knowing (especially in fall) that another year is winding down (as so are we), yet ironically – right before us - autumn sets her brightest colors! Is melancholy really all that bad? Must we always be sanguine? Melancholy means different things to different people. It seeps into the heart, causing us to spout out words describing ourselves as gloomy, hopeless, tearful, discouraged, woeful or despondent. But also some use words like poignant or touching to describe it. Hauntingly beautiful lines emerge from the pen of melancholy poets. You cannot deny the feeling of melancholy. It simply is . . . and then it isn’t! Melancholy is a temporary setback; a wondering of what could have been. We all must experience it to feel like a complete human being. But if it hangs around for many weeks, for months or even years, a new label it will carry, and that one will require mighty prayer, therapy, or most likely medication! May 9, 2023 For Anatomy Of Melancholy Poetry Contest Sponsor: Craig Cornish (perhaps this is prose style. Not really sure)