An Ode To The Black Dog: A Poem for the Depressed

A poem for everyone who struggles or has struggled with depression.

Here comes the deep, familiar, 
melancholic ache.
If I pay attention to it, 
I may break.

I know what it is.
It’s your dirty hands.
Closing around my heart,
shrouding my world again.

You’ve been skulking for a while,
biding your time.
You waited for a crack in my armor
so you can reclaim my life.

Tonight, I’m apathy with an aching core
of empty sorrow.
I’m beginning to wish once more
for no tomorrow.

Before I go down that path,
I thought again.
I’ve fought you before –
there was nothing to gain.

As it dawns I see you’re a part of me
that coped with the bad
till you can’t anymore, 
and you became that.

I was so wrong, those were no dirty hands!
Those were dainty paws, poised over my chest.
It’s still difficult, but there is a change…
I don’t hate you now, even in pain.

You’re not a big bad monster.
You’re my poor lil’ black dog. 
My internal warning system,
so I don’t implode.

A little reminder

Do you have a “black dog”? I do. It’s been behaving, though sometimes it’s still a handful. I find that catching certain thought patterns early helps a lot.

I don’t think we can ever separate depression from our person. Fearsome or not, our little black dogs are a part of us. It’ll not do to hate it or want to destroy it. To destroy it means to destroy ourselves.

To everyone who’s struggling with depression, I just want to remind you to seek help if you feel your black dog getting more needy and ferocious. Talk to someone caring, seek professional help, and be patient and kind to yourself.

Compassion, patience, understanding, and love are what it (you) needs, not denial, and definitely not neglect and destruction.

Remember, depression is an illness, not a choice or a weakness.

With the right treatment – be it medication or counseling, it can become manageable. So always seek help. It may not work right away, but don’t give up! Every storm passes.

I hope you’ve found a little comfort in my poem. If you like poems, you may want to check out this one too.