By: Amelia S.

This poem was inspired by my own mental health journey. There is an age-old stigma around mental health; this idea that conversations should be hushed and hidden behind closed doors. I wholeheartedly disagree. Willingly sharing your struggles about pain, anxiety, depression, or anything of the sort takes strength. I wanted to tell the story of how I shared the highs and lows with someone else who was going through something similar. Each day, I found myself fighting not only against my mind but against societal pressure to either stay quiet or romanticize my pain. It would have been so hard to go through that alone, and I’m so grateful that I didn’t have to. I wrote this in order to encourage others to share their journey with someone who will listen, and to encourage resilience in the healing process.

1st · High School Writing (2021)

April showers, grass is green
You only bloom after you bleed
Forever tearing at the seams
But we try to heal together
In desperate cries under the stars
In never-to-be-mended hearts
Pretending we don’t fall apart
But we try to heal together
Ever-poetic falls from grace
Tears of glass run down your face
Artists bow at our throne of pain
But we try to heal together
The sun will rise and stars will fall
This life is not a free-for-all
Hand in hand, we break through walls
And so, we heal together