Melancholy, Nurtured Throughout Life

She claims that when she was a child, all that she craved mocked and beguiled. The cool kids wouldn't play with her; the others--she did not prefer. In school and college, praise she'd earned all went to others; she was spurned. Then working days were just as grim. Her chances to excel were slim. The higher-ups all failed to see how great an asset she could be. Her colleagues' efforts to befriend fell short, and she would never bend. Her love relationships went sour, each leaving her depressed and dour. She hoped in her retirement years that friendship would assuage her fears. As time wore on, no neighbors came. She cries and feels they are to blame. This gray-haired hermit sits and groans. "The world defeated me," she moans. May 11, 2023 Contest Name: Anatomy of Melancholy Sponsor: Craig Cornish