Best Poems Written by Noelle Jackson

Depression

Depression 
Is a trap
A cage from which
There's no escaping
You see your loved ones
On the other side of the bars
Reaching
Their hands towards you
You grasp for their hands
Wish for their loving embraces
But you are trapped

The bars containing you
Thick, steel, and immovable 
Will not give
At your relentless effort 
You work
And work
And work
And work
And try
And try
And try 
And try
So hard
To be free
But the bars only grow stronger
And you only grow weaker
Until you are too tired to move a muscle 

You want to get up
And get out of this place
But there is no way
To escape the inescapable cage
Once you've fallen to the floor
You can no longer get up
To continue failing your impossible mission

Your friends and family
Stand outside
And watch as you try
And fail
And try
And fail
The tell you to snap out of it
Just smile and it'll be fine
Change your attitude and you'll be free
But they do not see
Your brain is broken
Your heart is hopeless
Your soul has sunk
Your death is destined to come

Doctors join
The group outside 
They throw pills in through the bars 
They say it'll work
But it just turns out worse
Therapists and counselors
Are added to the mix
Just talk about it, it'll help
They all say
But talking means reliving 
The horrible memories
Of drowning in despair
Of facing your demons alone at 3am
Of people you once loved who vowed to stay with you 
Only to break that promise
And leave you helpless and alone

And you try
To bring yourself up
Take weight off your shoulders
And break free from the bars
But the weights have become
A part of you
Molded to your shoulder blades
Dragging you back to the ground

So you cry
Because you realize it's hopeless
Depression will forever
Keep you in its grasp
The bars will forever
Keep you trapped
Despite how hard you try
To be free

Copyright © Noelle Jackson | Year Posted 2017