Sombre Depths

A personal recollection on depression

Like a fiery arrow
That interrupts the ebb and flow of life
From out of nothingness
The hideous presence is revealed
Its stark reality confounds the mind

Where contentment and peace
Once reigned supreme, now blackness fills the mind
Injecting poison which,
Like serpents fangs that pierce the skin
Engulf the mind with darkness and despair.

Although the daylight streams
Through window pane it cannot penetrate
The murky fog within
That has now settled in the depths
And taken root, refusing to let go.

The mind that once was bright
Now plumbs the depths of darkness and despair
Thought processes once bright
Replacing work and industry
As four blank walls incarcerate the soul.

From outside looking in
Come helping hands to try and bring the soul
Into a better place.
To lead the ravaged, doubting soul
And guide poor, sad and hesitant footsteps.

A medicine prescribed
To help release endorphins trapped within
Which otherwise would lie
In dormant state is taken now
With patience, hoping for that said release.

A house, surrounded by
Lush grounds of green, lavishly bordered by
Nature’s bright opulence
A time to take a change of scene
To try and gain refreshment once again.

To walk in those rich grounds
With arm-in-arm accompaniment to help
Might seem like Paradise.
Yet those same heavy, sad footsteps
Trudge wearily along the same sad path.

This church weekend away
In Hemingford Gray’s house and luscious grounds
With friends for company
By speech and actions unbeknown
To them, at last commence a healing path.

This sense of healing starts
To slowly make its way into the mind
And medicine prescribed
Begins to slowly take effect
To bring at last some light into the black.

A time to stop and think
Creatively and try to draw a tree
Within those lovely grounds
Yet no words of encouragement
Can dispel thoughts of feeble effort made.

And yet perhaps those words
Somehow did make their way into the mind
For, in a room not used
At that weekend away, there hung
A glass image of Mary and her child.

This captivating sight
An icon which depicts familiar pose
Invades the darkened mind
And with its beauteous colouring
Inspires the mind to artistry divine.

The mind is now embarked
Upon a journey contrasting to that
Which, until now only
Walked slowly, now a purpose comes
To bring fulfilment, purpose and new hope.

Endeavour’s rich reward
Comes as the image finally is made
A mirror image which
Brings comfort and a genuine
Appreciation from admiring eyes.

The journey carries on
Away from Hemingford Gray’s paradise
As fog begins to clear
To make way, over time, for light
To finally dispel the long dark night.

A further healing touch
As willow strikes red leather orb in sport
To gentle, warm applause
Players in white who never will
Know how they played their part to heal this soul.

Many more months did pass
As light increased to restore daylight’s gleam
As darkness did retreat
To let the daylight flood the soul
And bring repose and rest and joy once more.

From time to time there come
Reminders of those sad dark days to blight
The mind with blackened thoughts
To try and nullify the light.
It comes then goes, brightness restored once more.

This long dark time of doubt
Despair and hopelessness shall one day be
Dispelled for evermore
Until that time, take care and hold
Fast to eternal light and love and peace.