"A Letter to Depression"

I will conquer you
In your most vulnerable state
Because in this age of
Glass guitars there are
So many chords left to learn
And so many songs left to write
Of jolly fat men and
Food-filled stomachs;

Of glorious revolutions and
There triumphs and heartaches;

Of finding a good bargain and
Letting it slide;

Of asking someone "How are you?" and
Waiting for a reply;

Of the silence rain creates and
The way it makes me sad;

Of looking at the things I own and
Not at what I had;

Of the interest I have in that foreign boy
And not in where he's from;

Of the way a new love fills my heart and
Leaves me more than numb;

Of the piercing morning air and
The lingering dark of night
Making me want to stay alive for the
Rest of this destined flight;

Of the way music heals and
The way it never dies;

Of how I strive to tell the truth
Rather than those damned lies;

Of the delicate touch of
A new bought shirt;

Of the power to save and
The will to convert;

Of the warmth of the sun
Shining though hand-printed glass and
The face on the moon
Smiling down as I pass;

Of the absence of friends and the
Joy of being alone;

Of the art of wood-staining and the
Carving of stone;

Of licking the cream and
Ditching the cookie;

Of praising the old timers as
Well as the rookie;

Of planning a revolt
Against the restrictions on health care and
Casting a spell against
Those who don't share;

Of seeing the whole family
Downstairs reading a book;

Of forgiving my brother and
Forgetting what he took;

Of sailing a boat of chocolate down
The river of temptation
And seeing it crash on the
Shores of satisfaction;

Of knowing what to write
When my thoughts empower me but
Keeping them to myself for the
Sake of mystery;

Of knowing when I'm right and
Knowing when you're wrong;

Of knowing when to be weak and
Knowing when to be strong;

Don't you understand that
I'm better than you,
And how you can't stop
Me from soaring through
Your hate and your lies
That you think are disguised?

It's you whom I despise.

Let me free or I'll tear you to shreds;
You'll fear me when you're alone in your bed;
Just wander off and ruin someone new
And pray to God I'll forget about you.

Adrienne E. Helms (nothingfancy@juno.com)

En Espanol

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