Poem - Survived Another Day

[kokopelle]

The poem “Survived Another Day” is about the daily struggle experienced by those with mental health challenges. Most people take the day-to-day transition as normality. Challenged people both embrace a new day and dread the wheel turning again.


Survived Another Day

I survived to another day
alert the press, resound the praise
this is how I may feel at heart
the sun has set, I’m still alive

the same rose at morning’s dawn
perhaps the clouds blocked its face
or the rays poured down on earth
I don’t know after the fact

instead the weather was inside
turmoil roiling in my soul
thunder blocking out the sounds
of reality outside of self

at some point my realm included
waking mortals in real life
by God’s grace we’re all in this
so says my mind in rebuke

contracts called for their due
actions done because I must
checks on lists, levers pulled
the machine will run with me as fuel

the free time had then arrived
freedom there to feed the joy
both ashes and the better stuff
what should I choose to find the love?

in the breadth of time’s embrace
the circle’s turned away from cheer
now in the quiet I found myself
with the storms on ego’s edge

to cry myself to sleep is not my way
instead I think of guns and pills
trucks and ropes and heart-attacks
dropping into slumber’s arms

you may wonder where I went
when day was done and spirit spent
my dreams were different, another place
blessing where I found healing

this was a story of another day
one I survived without calamity
one of many set in a long line
pray that I call the press once again.

© 2017, Sean Green. All Rights Reserved. 20170204.