chilled sheets touch white skin
inner turmoil leaks out
staining cold with fear
washing machines can't
remove the stains of the past
but they can sure try
stains tell the story
of each person's midnight horrors
who says where stains lie?
splattered across sheets
are the stains of my nightmares
strange; they look like tears
who am I kidding?
one night I will cry non-stop
and it will be good
tonight's are good tears
I am so happy to weep
they don't look like stains
my sheets are pretty
scattered patterns lie
they are beautiful
no more stains for me
I see them as beauty marks
on my sleep canvas
this is not about denial; it's about overcoming the stigma of mental illness and convincing yourself that you can get better if you want to. It's deciding that mental illness is a part of you, but doesn't define you.