Mental Health Friday #5

Imagine receiving a surprise invite to an amazing dinner at the most exclusive restaurant in your city. You know, one of those invite only establishments. The dinner is for the “who’s who” of the world…but somehow you received an invite. Excited about this unbelievable opportunity, you arrive to the dinner early and wearing your best attire. When you walk up to the registration table to find out your seat assignment, you are given an empty name tag.

You quickly try to give your hostess your name, but she replies “oh no, names don’t matter here.” Baffled, you scowl and wonder what type of place doesn’t take names. The hostess notices your confused scowl and says “once you put the name tag on, it will display the current state of your mind; and that’s your seat assignment.”

If you had to wear the current state of your mind like a badge, what would it display? Would your badge read “depressed” or “anxious” or “elated” or something similar? Sadly, most people have never thought about this question, so the answer is likely “I have no idea.”

We have all been taught the importance of physical health, but we rarely hear about the importance of mental health. It’s almost as if we have somehow forgotten that the brain is also apart of the same body we strive to keep healthy.

Now listen, I use “we” to admit that I too am guilty of this. Depending upon which point in my life you asked me this question, my badge could read “I just came for the snacks” or “sooooooooo, you don’t have bacon”.

Of her mind-

She had the most beautiful mind,
A galaxy of infinite stars
In the form of thoughts-
Swirling around,
In her brain’s sulci and gyri-
I wonder,
I just wonder
How one creation could hold
So much genuine-
Creativity
Passion
Intensity
With profound humility.

And she’d smile, bashful
Waving off compliment;
Lower her gaze hiding,
Those caramel eyes- behind
geeky glasses.
And I wish,
Oh I wish,
She could see the view
From where I stand.
She watches the universe
Admiring it’s beauty-
Fade to black
Grow into light
Day and night;
But she,
She holds the most beautiful
Universe-
In that mind of hers.

image credit: the HealthyPlace

She could barely-

She didn’t share the words
of her heart,
With the world;
It wasn’t a pretty place to be.
She could barley –
stand
Handle
Breathe
Survive,
With the battle
Going on within her,
How could they?
She lived with the words
In her mind-
Stuck,
An incessant battleground;
But, still,
She could stand,
Even if barley;
She had a pulse,
Even if rapid;
It was all she could bring
That day;
It was enough,
She prayed…

IMAGE CREDIT: weheartit.com

What is Love?

What is this ‘love’?
I dare not ask;
Too many contradictions,
Confusing the mind;
Some say it is hopeless-
Some claim it’s absurd;
A minority musters-
Best feeling in the world;
It’s up to me to judge.

A pair of question marks,
And two hearts are formed;
Is that what love is-
Two becoming one?
Does it precede hurt,
Is it the other way around?
Is love such a feeling
That words cant describe?
It’s up to me to judge…
when the time comes…

Are we Free?

Image courtesy: http://theartsentrepreneur.com/?p=750

We live in a bi-polar world,
With freedom ill defined;
They urge for you to speak your voice,
Yet shut you the moment it’s out.

They say you’re free to speak
From within-
The words burning deep in your skin;
So You spit them out expecting appease-
That moment, they break you
And your humanity.

“But freedom of speech is what we practice”-
Oh honey, they chew and sweeten their speech;
And try yes they will, to numb your ‘will’-
Your speech ends up just how they will;
Oh yes there’ll be expression,
Loads of them;
But the freedom in question?
Has gone in despair;
So you speak bulk of thoughts
But with a seasoned prisoned mind-
And the freedom you once had,
Had been lost in the wind.

Words will be said;
Thoughts expressed;
With lack of freedom-
Bare as stiff air.

A letter to ‘the voice inside my head’

Dear Mind,
I tried shutting you off for a long time, it worked but then, you kept coming back. Finally, I have given into your demands. You want me to finish what I started, fine! I’ll prove you wrong. And No, this time it’s going to be different. Not like the last three times I started writing a book and didn’t go through with it. This time, I’m going to finish what I started.

And you know what, it’s not about writing a perfect book, it’s more about practice. The art of writing every single day (okay, every week), pushing myself to post a new story no matter how bad you make me think it is. Experimenting with new techniques, description, narration, letter writing, dialogues and just to keep getting better.

By the way, I did finish the Writing 101 course. Now that I think about it, that was what motivated me to complete the story I started. And although you didn’t mince your words in reminding me time and time again how bad the storyline of ‘a Glimpse of Summer’ is- and even though I was temped to give up, I didn’t. Because dear mind, even you do not know the extent of my writing.

And so, I’m going to keep on writing badly till I get good at it. You may mock me, you may increase the volume of your screams but it won’t stop me, not anymore. There’s not a bone of doubt in me that my love for writing screams louder than any of your disbeliefs in me. Listening to that passion within me has been the greatest gift.

This is it; The end of a long tumultuous relationship with you dear mind. Unless the mumble that comes out of you screams confidence, I’m afraid we’ll have to part ways. Goodbye for now… It’s time to give in to my passion.

In Response to the Writing hub Challenge: Write a letter to yourself reflecting on who you are as a writer.