the music starts
shhhhh...
the dancers silently
slowly
sway to the melody
their breaths even and
silent
the piano is soft
no one speaks
or whispers
as the dancers move,
not a step out of place

no one sees what happens when you're alone
no one understands the depth of your mind
alone, you don't have to pretend to be someone else
alone, you are free to be who you are inside
alone, you don't have to hide under a mask
you can take off your clothes
let down your hair
wash your face
stop pretending
and live

Soft sunlight penetrates the dark blue ocean
where it silently illuminates the waters
beams of light fall from the sky
to touch the quiet coral.

Sweet cinnamon sifts through the air
Buns from a bakery are warm
their sticky glaze drizzled atop
the golden, cinnamon filled delights

I see a magazine at the checkout
A half naked woman is on the cover
and rude words are splayed across the paper
I wonder who writes such crap

I see a little girl staring at the woman
whose body is obviously altered
Please don't listen to those lies,
I silently plead with her in my head

I see another girl looking at the magazine
This one is older, a teenager
She picks up the tabloid and flips through
"WEIGHT LOSS TIPS" is where she stops

I want to tell them both that they are not fat
I want to tell them that they don't need to listen
they don't need to look
they don't need to change

But I already know it's too late
when they both buy a copy
and leave
I sigh and try not to think about it too much

depression doesn't care
if you've got millions of dollars
or you're just getting by.

depression doesn't care
if you've got loving friends and family
or you're all alone.

depression doesn't care
if you've got a successful career
or you're unemployed.

depression doesn't look at your life situation.
depression is a mental illness, not an emotion.
depression doesn't care.