If you can’t win
Don’t lose
"All my life's buried here, heap earth upon it"
If you can’t win
Don’t lose
Is this all there is now
Just sitting here killing time
Waiting for the next one to come along
Getting stoned and drinking wine
You see I’d rather not bother
Wasting all this time and effort
I’d prefer to end it here and now
And all my earthly ties sever
I try to write but the words fail.
Sit, think, smoke, exhale.
As I reach for the coffee cup,
I wonder if my time is up.
Have I forgotten you,
Is that what this is?
The reason I can no longer write this shit?
Or could it be this depression is finally lifting?
Maybe the all encompassing darkness is shifting?
Perhaps after all this time my heart is mended.
And my love affair with words has ended.
(Originally Posted 11.08.2019)
I’ve dreamt of you before
She said
And I didn’t fall for you then
Well I’m here in real life now
He said
So let me try again
You’d
think it
would
take
some
effort
To
write
as
much
as
this
Well
please
don’t
think
me
arrogant
But
it’s
really
a piece
of piss
What
is the
point
in any
of this
In
trying
so hard
all this
time?
What
do I
hope to
achieve
anyway
By
writing
this
useless
rhyme?
Are you
sure I
have to
come out
tonight
As I
really
can’t
be
arsed
Apart
from
anything
my face is
a fright
And the
will
to get
dressed
is sparse
Will you
catch meWhen I
fall?Or am I
not worthThe effort
at all?
Is it
too late
to phone
in sick?
For life…
When you see me, you see the finished article.
Washed, dressed, hair in place, make up on and a smile on my face.
But you don’t see what it takes to get there.
You don’t see me trying to muster the strength to open my eyes in the morning.
You don’t see me forcing my weary bones out of bed.
You don’t see me berating myself as I sob in the shower.
You don’t see me looking in the mirror as I question whether or not today is the day.
You don’t see me wracked with indecision on what to wear.
You don’t see me soothing my pain as I twist and pull out my hair.
You don’t see me apply make up in the hope it makes me disappear.
You don’t see me riddled with anxiety as I lurk in the doorway.
You don’t see me breathing deeply before finally pushing open the office door.
When you see me, you see the finished article.
But just because you don’t see the struggle, doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen.
Just because you see me smile, it doesn’t mean it’s real.
How I look, is not how I feel.
I am amazed, yet again, that I’ve found the courage to get out of bed.
You have no idea how hard it is.
This sustained internal struggle.
The conscious effort required to motivate myself to move.
The strength of belief needed to convince my anxious brain that we can get through the day unscathed.
It’s exhausting.
If only I could return to the naivety of the past.
Travel back to a time when sadness was mere affectation.
Where melancholy was a comforting friend.
And death wasn’t such a viable option.