“How is she? I've missed her,’’You say
“She’s okay, bit under the weather,But doing much better.”He doesn't tell you That the skies are stormy, dark, With visibility the color of a black ant on a moonless night,That the sadness is really depression,And the depression is only a share of psychosis,The skeleton in her family closet-
But you wouldn't know this.
Not even when he shows up to workHaggard, Absent-minded, blank face“No sleep?” you ask“None” he says“Why?”“Just couldn't.”Because of how they wept in each other’s arms all night,
Until the first crack of athaan, light on his ears after the heavy weeping,Between fighting the wakeful stateAnd no way of sleeping, But to tell you that? He wouldn’t.Nor will he tell you That depression has its way of spreading,And now her siblings are all asking questions,Trying to place a reason
“I should have been around more,”Says one
“If only I wasn’t so busy, I would have noticed it coming,”Says the other
“And what am I to say? I share a room with herNever figured what to do about itAnd nowIt’s just a pothole getting wider and deeper.”Says the youngest brother, after he puts down the phone receiverThat asked why she looked so tiredThat all four of her teachers Are full of suspicionsAnd if everything at home is alright
“She’s not fine, and I told you this every time She came back home crying; You've done nothing to help her, but add to her problemsOur problemsHow many times do I have to spell it out?SheIsDepressed.You are not helping.”
Neither are the meds, he whispers in his head
“Psychosis” he says to himselfPainfully spitting out the word That destroyed the real worldAnd replaced it with hersOne that even he couldn't understand or visit.
“How is she?”
You say.
If only you would stop asking that question.
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October Poetry: in the style of April Poetry (U.S. National Poetry Month),U.K’s poetry month is October.
Personal Mission: 31 days, 31 poems.
Challenge Accepted.
Link to others: http://sarahkasm.tumblr.com/october-poetry-2012
