A Chemical Prison

You constantly hover over me -

a twelve foot giant with the ability to reduce me to nothing more than a pile of my flaws and insecurities.

With one flick of your malevolent tongue,

You remind me of who truly holds all the power in our unrequited love affair.

You wrap your arms around me, swallowing me into a dark abyss with your destructive words

and you, you are the reason I am left to lick my wounds in the ghastly hours of the night.

The reason I can no longer look myself in the mirror and feel the slightest bit satisfied.

The reason I am confined to the four walls of my bedroom, for trying to express how this feels only seems futile.

You are the reason I am left to ponder my existence.

A tiny devil on my shoulder,

you creep surreptitiously into my mind.

You’re inside my head and I want you out!

Depression be not proud⁴, for you are not as potent as you perceive.

You too can be suppressed by a daily dose of prescribed pills.

Why am I so afraid of you then?

You are Goliath and I, David.⁵

Neglecting stones and a sling, I hurl Prozac, Zoloft, and Sarafem.

and soon, your giant stature is condensed

and I, I will escape.

⁴ - Taken from the poem, “Death, be not proud” written by John Donne

⁵ - Taken from the bible story, “David and Goliath”