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Mood Swing

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The stories in this poem are real.   Patty Duke wrote a book about her experiences, as did Carrie Fisher.   Kanye West described his experiences with manic phases in an interview.  The question raised by the poem is for all of us, though.


 

When Patty was in the manic phase, she'd ignore dangers: She'd hold parties in her motel room for hordes of strangers. One of them she married after knowing him half a day - Did it occur that something could go wrong by acting that way? Who needs the wisdom of George Schwab, or boring investment schemes? She met two dudes in a parking lot, trusted their get-rich dreams. What could be wrong with giving strangers chances? Predictably things went wrong when they managed her finances. [chorus] The question arises, how do we know? Which feeling is right - the high or the low? Do thoughts determine what we feel? Or do feelings determine what we take as real? Carrie was bipolar too, wrote a book on crazy acts Her daily moods were divorced from daily facts She used illegal drugs to tame the unruly ocean - Yet she took a wild ride on a bronco of emotion It was found for depressives the windshield is more clear Rewards motivate them less; risks spark the proper fear. But gazing at the downside leads to helpless despair When reality gazes back, it has an unblinking stare. Halsey had a million ideas and couldn’t get them done: But when she was manic, she had the most fun She says it gave her all she has; she made her best art Her album named "Manic" rose to two on the chart. Kanye, in his manic state, paranoia gripped his heart, He feared the eyes of hidden spies, his world set apart. This was knowledge he got from what he would feel Between feeling and knowing, who can trust what is real? [chorus] The question arises, how do we know? Which feeling is right - the high or the low? Should we withdraw, should we take the fling? Or flatten out the waves of the mood swing? [outro] Does what you feel guide your reason Is trusting emotions akin to treason? Can you disentangle thought and feeling Sink below the floor, or rise above the ceiling? Oh, the enigmatic dance of life we tread, Which feeling is right— the elation or the dread?

Copyright © | Year Posted 2024




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