Mental Health Awareness Part 1

This is written in collaboration with my youngest son. He and I both have experienced firsthand the ramifications of Mental Illness. Writing this ’Art of Accompaniment’ poem to share our thoughts and potential ways to offer aid to those in need.

Have you ever
lost your best friend
But before you could mend
you lost another?
.
Have you ever
felt insane
for just wanting
to have said that one last thing?
.
But it’s not the same
when it’s left there,
unspoken and contained
.
Those words of comfort
spun around dried and dead
Inside the walls
of your numbing head
.
Words painted in different colors
With the memories
of a fallen brother
Wish’n the bullet
was made of rubber
.
Have you ever
driven into town
Thinking armored tanks
were all around?
.
A minds perspective
might be rock-solid and sound
Then a misty fog settles in
rendering one’s perspective unsound
.
Let’s erase the stigma
of unsettled states of mind
.
How can we connect
with a language in kind?
A mystery not unlike
the Rosetta Stone
.
Finding the right means
for decoding actions
words spoken
or left unspoken
.
What does this
‘Art of Accompaniment’
look like?
.
To ensure those enduring
pain and hardship know
“They Are Not Alone.”
.
“It’s okay, to not be okay”

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine’s contact information and hours of availability as a resource for people seeking mental health support:
Monday–Friday, 10 a.m.–8 p.m., ET 800-950-NAMI (6264)