Running
As far as you can
But only to the bottom of the street
Where they can still see
And that is where they want to keep you
Sitting
No time for playing
There are things that you really need to know
So keep yourself smart
These things are all very important
Sleeping
Even when you talk
Letting words form at the roof of your mouth
And roll down your tongue
To curl up in their smiling pockets
Falling
Just brush yourself off
These things happen to everyone your age
Get up on your own
And don't blame the people walking by
Bleeding
You can't see a cut
You think you got it when you were falling
No one saw you fall
You still have that pain in your stomach
Landing
No more bleeding now
Trying to settle on top of the ice
But you fall straight through
And you learn to breathe underwater
Floating
Your eyes are open
The sea bed lets you in on a secret
You don't have to eat
You start to crave the ice less and less
Sinking
Things change quickly now
You don't even try to swim any more
Even though you shout
They can't see the water like you can
Nothing
You were so perfect
They just can't see how this happened to you
Boys don't get depressed
Or put weights inside pocket linings.
Apr 12, 2013
Apr 12, 2013 at 10:50 PM UTC
Running
As far as you can
But only to the bottom of the street
Where they can still see
And that is where they want to keep you
Sitting
No time for playing
There are things that you really need to know
So keep yourself smart
These things are all very important
Sleeping
Even when you talk
Letting words form at the roof of your mouth
And roll down your tongue
To curl up in their smiling pockets
Falling
Just brush yourself off
These things happen to everyone your age
Get up on your own
And don't blame the people walking by
Bleeding
You can't see a cut
You think you got it when you were falling
No one saw you fall
You still have that pain in your stomach
Landing
No more bleeding now
Trying to settle on top of the ice
But you fall straight through
And you learn to breathe underwater
Floating
Your eyes are open
The sea bed lets you in on a secret
You don't have to eat
You start to crave the ice less and less
Sinking
Things change quickly now
You don't even try to swim any more
Even though you shout
They can't see the water like you can
Nothing
You were so perfect
They just can't see how this happened to you
Boys don't get depressed
Or put weights inside pocket linings.
Society has labelled certain mental disorders to be only something that young women suffer with, especially (from what I have seen) eating disorders. I have tried to portray the experience of depression alongside an eating disorder within this poem from the point of view of a male who would be possibly to embarrassed to ask for help, as society has created many negative connotations towards mental disorders, or - because of the somehow gendered stigma surrounding certain eating disorders - wasn't believed when asking for help.