eulogy 3
This poem is in honor of my late Husband, Dwight.
I know the steel you speak of, the unseen, sharpest bars, no metal wrought in flame, but marked by natal scars. For this cage is not constructed, but the blueprint of the skin, a living architecture where the terminal moves in.
To carry this prognosis is a battle fought in stone, a strength no borrowed shoulder has ever truly known. And the quiet, brilliant tyrant, the enemy within, is the pulsing, silent core where the struggles must begin.
Oh, the brain, the cruel commander, the architect of pain, a garden that produces both the sunshine and the rain. It knows the fragile tenure, the lease that will expire, and uses that cold knowledge to fuel a sleepless fire.
It is the self that whispers, You are losing every day. It is the self that must command, You must find a way to stay. The mind that should bring solace, brings only sharp alarm, The double-edged survival clasped tightly in your arm.
They see the bright demeanor, the smile upon your face, but they would not last an hour in this deeply haunted place. They would not know the courage it takes to lift the head, when every nerve is screaming what the future has already said.
Yet, this is where your triumph, your hard-won spirit lies, to bear the fatal contract and still look up at the skies. To be the hostage and the warden, both broken and yet whole, and claim your fierce dominion over your own rebellious soul.
Chloe
This poem is not merely inspired by mental illness; it is forged in it and the battles that we all face.
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness or emotional distress, please know that you are not alone, and help is available right now.
Resources
988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline Call or Text 988: Free, confidential support for people in suicidal, mental health, or substance misuse crises, 24/7.
Crisis Text Line Text: HOME to 741741: Connects you with a trained crisis counselor for free, 24/7 support via text message.
Veterans Crisis Line Call 988, then press 1: Available 24/7 to veterans, service members, National Guard and Reserve, and their family members and friends.