f r e e f a l l

S t o r i e s

buried, decaying

in cranial folds—festering

rotted memories chiseling away at

cavernous voids. Coils of pain

spinning in the chasm

of darkness,

w h i p p e d

around like glass shards

in violent tornadic

w i n d s.

Micro

glimpses

of light

snuffed out by

an endless frigid winter.

Metallic sheets of reflection deflecting

reality. Chasing temporary

relief, numbness

calms the

s t o r m,

quieting

the

past,

if

only

for

a

m o m e n t.

No

thought.

No

pain.

Brief.

Temporary

hush

s t a g g e r s

away

dissolving

the escape. Gaping

endless spaces widen where

warmth does not exist, lurching back into

the harsh continuance of existence.

Slowly, the cycles of destruction

engraved by reels of

m e m o r i e s—

repertoires

dished up by

patterns of pain begin

their whisper, quickly rising decibels

of torment. Deafening

recollections

re-build

as the

seconds pass.

Each tick of the clock an

eternity, evoking the craving for another

sledgehammer. Inner voices

howl, reverberating off

the cold skeletal

walls—

resonating up the vertical

exposures of mental cliffs. Jagged

edges, ripping to shreds in

a never-ending

free fall.

No

b o t t o m.

No swift death. Just

thrashing into the void. Gravity

sucking into the endless

black hole. Withering

away moment

by moment

into

the

cold

desolate

night

of

the

mind.

x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

*******************************************************

I can't force you to

open the parachute

I harnessed around you—

only you can choose

to pull the ripcord. I will

quietly sit here in your

rifts—reaching my

arms out to you,

waiting for you to

reach back. I will

pour out my tears

gathering waters of

my eyes into a gentle

lake, a calm place for

you to float. I will shower

you with petals, drenching

you with the softness of life,

trusting you'll see the small

gifts of beauty. Hoping you

understand the seed that

goes into the darkness

always breaks before it

blooms. I hope the words

uttered from my lips make

their way past the boulders

of protection you've fashioned

around you, to swirl through the

cracks and sing sweetly to your soul.

I wish them to be a healing spark to

burn away your armored shell—

seeping into desolate caves of

your mind, offering you

fire-light, hopeful it

doesn't extinguish

in your internal

torrential

rain.

_________________________________________

It's always the right time to check in with a friend to ask how they're really doing, to tell them that you love them, and to let them know they have someone in their corner. A little love and kindness could make all the difference.

If you or someone you love is going through a mental health crisis or drug abuse issue, searching for help can be difficult, and it can be hard to know where to start. Here are a couple of places to look for information and help:

Additional research that may be helpful for some: