I realize that this probably takes away from the “writing” portion of this post, but I had to make a disclaimer: this poem is quite old and I was in an extremely dark place when I wrote it, and it doesn’t apply to me anymore.
It almost feels wrong to post this for mental health month, honestly, but I think it’s important to see the darkness as well as the light. This was not meant to be a glorification of mental illness, it’s just how I personally felt in the middle of the darkness. Please, please do not read any further if dark themes upset you. Stay safe, Friends.
Round the carnival this is how we live,
Ride the tilt ‘o’ swirl but don’t you dare get sick.
Make us look pretty,
Make us look fun,
Watch you unravel,
Welcome home (welcome home).
Welcome home,
To the dark, to the abyss,
Welcome back to the depression,
Where’ve you been?
Did you think could hide?
Well, too bad, darlin’, I lurk in the shadows of your mind,
Welcome home, welcome home.
Scream for joy as you follow me into wonderland,
I assure you the pleasure won’t last long,
Take a stab at a game but you know you’ll never win.
Find yourself screaming, screaming again,
Is that joy? Or is it pain?
Lock the gate,
Lock the gate,
Because you’re home,
Welcome home, my dear friend.
Round the carnival this is how we live,
Ride the tilt o’ swirl but don’t you dare get sick,
Make us look pretty,
Make us look fun,
Watch you unravel,
Welcome home, welcome home, welcome home, dear one.
Welcome,
To the dark, to the abyss,
Welcome back to the depression,
Where’ve you been?
Did you really think you could hide from me?
I’m always lurking in the shadows of your mind,
I thought you knew by now,
This darkness is your home.
Fall on your knees,
Admit defeat,
Trace a trail of red back to the queen of hearts,
She’s already done off with your head,
Welcome home, darling.
Isn’t this a party?
Don’t you wish that you’d never even left?
Round the carnival this is how we live,
Ride the tilt o’ swirl but don’t you dare get sick,
Make us look pretty,
Make us look fun,
Watch you unravel,
Welcome home.
Welcome home,
To the dark, to the abyss,
Welcome back to depression,
Where’ve you been?
Welcome, dear, to a land of the unknown,
Where life seems so pretty,
So fun,
But when you follow the glitter trail and crawl through the rabbit hole,
You see that life is never as it seems,
Welcome home, darling.
Welcome home.
A Rambler In Bloom 