The worth of a life so bravely endured,
A test of time over which we matured.
A span of years and decades it took to grow,
Seeds of hard work and effort we continued to sow.

From the outset a show was put on,
A façade of happiness and contentment had been drawn.
Masks of outgoing souls and smiles so perfect,
Not a speck of doubt could anyone detect!
An alter appearance had come to thrive,
Hiding the building toxic-ness that lay inside.

When did all that popular belief fade away?
When did hopelessness and self-doubt begin to out-weigh?
A societal pressure there continued to brew,
Destabilizing our worth, making it hard to construe.
Despondency and disconsolateness truly overcame,
Running out of options to keep up the name.

Undetectable and low-lying depression can be,
Only when it’s too late, do we begin to see.
Coming to realize where we could have made a change,
Help mend altered souls and life rearrange.
Undermine not, any state of being,
Whether physical, mental, or emotional, we need to keep seeing.

To be on the lookout is the need of the hour,
Possibly for signs of burnout, that make life sour.
A weighted area that needs more light,
Bringing it out in the open and together help fight!

-Sheldon Dominic Fernandez
Psychological First Aid

Editor: Elrica Wendel Menezes
B.Sc. Human Development
B.Ed. English and Science
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