For most of my life
Depression held on to me
With its iron grip

Depression fooled me
It charmed the hell out of me
By that, I mean choked

It got me thinking
Everything in my life sucked
I stayed in a hole

For those three decades
The cesspool of depression
Washing over me

My life felt hopeless
I would have rather been dead
Than survive this shit

It got very bad
I kept getting admitted
To the hospital

The one where they kept
The psych patients in safety
Who would rather maim

Themselves or others
Than face the reality
Of their existence

After eighteen stays
Totaling eight or nine months
I felt the last straw

There had to be change
Or I would keep going there
It would never end

After the last stay
I felt severely depressed
Something had to give

I decided that
Lying in my bed all day
Was not an option

I wanted to act
As if I were a content
Person who loved life

I put ideas
In my head like “It’s all good”
Negativity

Eventually
Left my mind without a trace
Positivity

Moved into my brain
My mindset was replaced by
An ethereal peace

Anxiety left
Me and into the graveyard
Where the negative

Find finality
And eternal rest away
From my contentment

I have far to go
I have come very far now
But still room to grow

If you hear me bitch
And complain about my life
You will hear me ask

Myself what to do
That is in my control to
Flip the script my way

I never let it
Hang in the balance for long
It will bend to me

I will always ask
How can I make this better?
Never is it bad

I’ve cultivated
A positive mindset and
Visualized good

Things coming my way
Wherein I get everything
I could ever need

I could ever want
Even things I have never
Ever imagined

You can do it too –
Find pure joy and happiness
Just follow my lead