She lay in the foetal position,
Heart beating with a rapid thud,
Her hand placed over it so it wouldn’t burst through her chest.
Curtains still shut not sure if it was day or night and she didn’t care,
Phone on silent to keep the world at bay.
Her hair wet through with sweat,
Her mouth dry as a bone,
Dehydrated but she couldn’t reach for a drink.
This is her Mental Health, her isolation, her anxiety, her loneliness, her worst nightmare.
This big black cloud that drapes itself around her without warning or permission
and because it’s invisible to others, because THEY don’t understand.
THEY judge, they find it awkward to discuss how she’s feeling
So they sweep it under the carpet and leave her to feel incomplete.
Your poem blew me away Karen. The honesty and what you say and how you say it the imagery …all had personal resonance for me as well made me reflect on how I relate to people I work with. Thank you