By: Maanya H.

My poem is about an individual’s journey to self-discovery, and how even in times of despair they can find themselves. This poem conveys the message of how poor mental health can negatively impact our lives, and how we can work to make things right. If we don’t focus on mental health we begin to slowly crumble due to stress, anger, sadness, and overwhelming emotions. Lack of importance towards mental health can cause many triggering emotions. We may feel broken, or we may feel like we need to “fix” ourselves. The important thing is that we recover from the negative emotions that we feel, do acts that help our mental health, and always remember that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

3rd Place · Middle School Writing (2024)

In the depths of despair, I longed to rediscover myself, I wept.

Aching beneath the weight of a life that I couldn’t accept.

 

Gone were the days I enjoyed,

Now every day I feel destroyed.

 

Each day blurred into the next, a constant loop,

Yearning for something, like an unsolved Rubik’s cube.

 

Should I create the “perfect” routine,

Or embrace yoga’s serenity to intervene?

 

Weeks of attempting to find strength in each pose,

Yet weakness arose.

 

Endless nights immersed in silent study,

A quest for brightness, my life’s remedy.

 

Lost in the shadows of a darkened space,

Focusing on myself is a challenge to face.

 

Abandoning the quest to “fix” what seemed broken,

Yearning for freedom, words unspoken.

 

A hot tear traced down my weary cheek,

As my internal battery began to leak.

 

I felt like a broken braces bracket,

A destroyed tennis racket.

 

Yet, amidst the darkness, a glimmer of surprise,

Awakening to the golden sun’s rise.

 

Pedaling through the streets, beneath pink skies so divine,

Long walks and morning swims intertwine.

 

Emerging in the golden hour’s warm embrace,

Gazing at stars in the pitch-black space.

 

I finally feel like a ruler of my own dynasty,

A journey of recovery, self-discovery.