JaVidMo 10 - Metal Health is a Serious Issue in POETRY

Ok, I’m starting things off with an 80’s Quiet Riot reference, I couldn’t resist!

Mental Health (particularly depression) is a topic I’m somewhat of an expert on having suffered with major depression since I was 8 years old (when I was first clinically diagnosed).

I’ve cut, I’ve attempted suicide… I’ve come close (more than once) I’ve saved many people from suicide… I’ve lost friends to suicide (one of which was one of my best friends whom I was roommates with at the time). I don’t judge, nor should you. If you think you know depression because you were sad that your boyfriend dumped you, you don’t know shit. The only people that truly understand depression are those who suffer with it. And depression is NOT the same as being depressed.

Words are born in the heart of darkness, and those words are a lantern.

Light is often found enshadowed, like the sun illuminating planets from the depths of blackness.

What am I getting at?

Poetry.

I define poetry as anything written from the heart. Fuck style and rhyming schemes and poems in the shape of a teardrop. That’s all well and good and it takes talent to do, but poetry isn’t ‘confined’ to those things.

I have my own style (as described on the front page of my poetry book here on PB). https://www.prosebox.net/book/1927/ So I won’t get into it here.

What I will say is that I NEVER explain my work. I keep it open to interpretation because in truth; it doesn’t matter if you understand what I’m talking about… if you feel what I’m talking about.

My poetry is dark, it’s not for everyone and very metaphorical, I write for me; call it catharsis if you will, but what I’ve learned over the years is that many others find catharsis in my writing because they feel the sadness, loneliness, depression in my words. And if you’ve ever felt those emotions, then we connect on a different level; above and beyond mere consonants and vowels. Finding familiarity in another’s words tells you that you’re not alone in how you feel.

Happy, sad, wondrous, whimsical… if you feel a certain way and read something that touches upon that emotion, then it means something to you. At that point it doesn’t matter if you understand it or not because you can fathom where it’s coming from.

As a kid, I was full of wonder and whimsy… is it strange that I had a connection to Dr. Seuss?

Not to boast, that’s not style, but to show you what I mean; here are a few comments I’ve received:

”You write in ways similar to Poe, very chilling and lonely. I feel your words through my own experiences. I love your wonderful darkness!”

”That was so sad, but like a moth to a flame I was so drawn to it. We all have our darkness and sad stories. There are so many parts of this piece, where I felt as though you were talking about me! So much in fact that it was a bit eerie!!”

”And this is why I love poetry. You have so splendidly captured the energy of pain and darkness in your descriptions and reflections. Darkness is sometimes so elusive when one attempts to capture its essence in mere words, but you have done it remarkable justice. I can feel the pain, sadness, and darkness radiating from the words in this poem, reaching out and speaking to my hardened heart. Beautiful.”

”Real. I can’t think of a better way to sum up the whole of it. This is one of those things that’s written by opening up a vein and letting your entire heart and soul be poured out upon the page, hoping you can focus long enough through the pain to put it in to coherent sense. I unfortunately can relate to this all too well. I’m reminded of yet another more bitter set of memories and the sea of emotions that still drown me along with them. Your words are a comforting hug for others who hurt.”

If people can feel better, if they can let their emotions out by reading my pang… then it’s all worth it.

I’m an old soul… or so I’ve been told; I’m not too pleased with the transition from script to screen. I think it loses something, or maybe it’s just me, but it’s JaVidMo, so whatevs, right?