Monday 29 August 2011

Melancholia

Melancholia
I can see you,
I can see you coming. 
Your dark shroud
hides you not from me. 
You look at me,
weigh me up
From every angle,
every corner.

I see you,
I see your mean thin smile
split your loathsome face –
Not grey, worn or lined
with the ready burden
that you carry
(and dispense with eagerness,
malignant pride
to those to vulnerable to resist).

Instead
like some awful alien sun
your face glows, cheeks puff,
eyes glint and draw me in. 
Your court me easily,
embrace me in
your malignant charm,
embrace me close
to your awful malformed chest,
your parasitic heart
roots into mine
feeding on its frightened rhythm.

Your deep dark thoughts attempt
to penetrate my flesh, my mind 
and nauseated by your
rancid breath,
oh how I try so hard to resist,
to fight you off
to save my very self.

But your gloom drip, drip, drips
like some eternal icy shower
and protection down
like some collapsing umbrella
rent asunder
by your perfect, perfect storm,
resistance done
you finally penetrate,
penetrate my very heart and soul
and saturated, drowning
in your gloom I descend,
down
into a deep depression.

Red Umbrellas, Christopher Shay
This time
you have worn me down
and won
but then you always win.

Anna :o]

With thanks to the good folk at Magpie Tales and dVerse for the inspiration.

25 comments:

Lydia said...

Your essay-poem perfectly describes the descent more and more people find themselves fighting these days. May we be there for one another...

Martin said...

I can feel the weight of melancholia as I read. Very effective.

Brian Miller said...

oh very nice...rancid breathe and tough is a great texture to this...and touching the senses...you set the scenario well in your layering...really nice close as well...you always do...

Helen said...

Run, run as fast as you can! You have spun a heavy Tale for us.

Maggie said...

Very intense and emotional. I have felt like this once too often.

Doctor FTSE said...

Quite depressing in itself - but wasn't that your intention?

Tess Kincaid said...

That Melancholia is a mean customer.

Reflections said...

Quite a bit of depth to this darkness. So many fall prey to its charm, its glamour... leaving us to fight it from within its grasp.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thanks for your kind comments folks.

Doctor FTSE ~ yes that was my intention.

I have never been touched by depression as such, merely the PMS stuff (which much to my suprise at the ripe old age of 38, I found did indeed exist - having being a Doubting Thomasina until it struck).

To do my job well (and hopefully effectively) I have always listened to my residents/clients/patients - for unless I truly understand (and am not ?frightened by their expressed feelings) - how can I help?

If I have been able to convey depression in my little effort and others recognise it - hopefully I do understand - and for those who may be frightened by and back off frome a depressed soul - I hope the poem brings a little understanding.

Mmmm.... the above sounds a little bit like a lecture! Sorry Dr FTSE - not meant to be so. Just finished a night shift so thought process is not at its keenest!

Anna :o]

Mary said...

You have made depression live through this poem. And the picture definitely helps as well. A powerful write.

kaykuala said...

This gives a vivid picture of the old saying 'love is blind'. While the lady is fully aware of 'what's coming..' she just can't resist, even though privy of the guy's shortcomings.

Brilliant verse! And thanks for dropping by.

Hank

Anonymous said...

Vivid and effective, Anna!

~laurie

Anonymous said...

Anna, first time here - I posted my comment right below yours, having missed the deadline as well.

What a Dorian Grey of a poem! "Your malignant charm," how his gloom "drips, drips, drips." Amazing how we can see with our souls who that person really is, and still allow them control. ACK! This is my first marriage! Chills...

Truly a great write. Here's my "latie" as well... Peace, Amy Barlow Liberatore
http://sharplittlepencil.wordpress.com/2011/08/30/third-eye-of-the-sightless-woman-dverse/

Jenny Woolf said...

Yes, sometimes melancholia does seem to be personified. A good poem.

Friko said...

Oh dear, I am glad my bout of the other day is fairly well over again (it never actually is completely); you describe it so well, I am tempted to get back inside and under it, to see if you've got it right.

Better not.

Dave King said...

Brilliant - and a good idea to put the image at the end. I had no idea the poem was a response to it until very late on in the read. An excellent post.

Cad said...

Reading you words almost makes me glad I killed off my umbrella, before its spokes could make you bleed depression-blood! LOL

Theresa Milstein said...

I like: "malformed chest" and "perfect storm". Sorry to hear he won.

Trellissimo said...

I'm with Cad on this one...

Helena said...

Melancholia is certainly the boss in this one....drawn in indeed...!!

Susie Clevenger said...

Melancholy speaks...heavy poem

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thanks for your kind comments folks.

Cad and Trellissimo ~ glad the brollies were killed!

Sorry this is not an illuminating response folks - brain dead as at work last night and the night before and the night before...... Zzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Anna :o]

Lolamouse said...

I could feel this myself. Chilling.

hyperCRYPTICal said...

Thanks Lolamouse

Anna :o]

Stafford Ray said...

Depression is... well, depressing and this poem leaves no doubt as to its destructive nature.
A comment on previous posts. It seems governments all over are privatising public services like hospitals and prisons. Do we all want to be American?
I heard that heath care there costs 12% of GDP where ours (in Oz) costs 8%. It isn't perfect here but it is universal and if one can't pay it is free, and all procedures are available (if you can wait).
One of the few extravagances I allow myself as a pensioner is private health insurance. It is hard to make the payments but when I need help it is there immediately, not that I use it much (yet).