Your Depression Isn’t Your Fault

A poem

I'm sorry for not truly understanding Why you can't positive your way out of your slump

I'm sorry for not realizing Why you're constantly so sad And dampen little moments of joy

I'm sorry that you Never feel enough Despite all my best efforts Telling Showing

It kills me inside That you're hurting Feeling constantly grey Lost Forlorn So down Trapped in the darkest moments of the past Unable to glimpse any light in the future Struggling to truly be here in the present

I don't know what will happen in the future You say Don't write me off Afraid Dejected Hopeless

I'm so sorry I don't really know about depression It scares me too The drinking The pills The perpetual tiredness The glazed looks The sadness So much sadness Always sadness

I felt lost too While I calmed you I struggled to calm the turmoil inside me While I nurtured you I forgot how to care for myself While I spoke words of affirmation to you I neglected myself of those same words

Giving you everything I could When nothing left Had I to give Even to myself Yet it still wasn't enough

I don't know this thing they call depression Except I had it too And I'm sorry I couldn't help you more I'm sorry for hurting you I didn't understand how much I was hurting too But what I know for sure is this:

Your depression isn't your fault

Let's get some help Let's be around the people who love us Let's be ok with not being ok Let's not trust our shitty thoughts Let's find our anchors amongst the nauseous swells of our unstable minds Let's drag ourselves out in the light Let's stop drowning in thoughts Let's do keep busy, always busy

And perhaps in time, we'll Find perspective Find purpose Find joy Calm amongst the chaos

Know you are loved Even when it rains Even when it rains You are enough You've always been enough Your soul so beautiful, your heart so kind You are so loved, precious I will never give up on you:

Your depression isn't your fault