Today marks the last day of Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 5-11, 2014.) Today is also two months from the date of Robin Williams’ death, following his depression and suicide. I wrote this spoken-word poem in August 2014 as part of my reflection after learning of Robin Williams’ journey.
I am one sigh away from hopeless.
One tear away from despair,
One bead of sweat away from exhaustion,
One track away from derailment,
One choice away from regret.
I am one pop-up ad away from a virus,
One dollar sign away from bankruptcy,
One digit away from a wrong number,
One dropped ball away from defeat.
I am one accusation away from indictment,
One degree away from the flames,
One vote away from impeachment,
One storm away from disaster.
My voice is growing louder; my words are getting faster.
I am one heartbeat away from tachycardia,
One shock away from electrocution,
One mistake away from failure,
One bell toll away from the funeral.
I am one doubt away from a lost cause,
One signature away from resignation,
One sin away from the devil,
One broken bone away from a body cast,
One click away from ‘game over.’
I am running on fumes.
I am one key turn away from combustion,
One dress size away from losing my dignity,
One pulse away from abortion,
One hug away from good-bye.
I am one tragedy away from recognizing that we are all vulnerable, and no one is immune.
You today, me tomorrow,
Me today, you tomorrow.
Me, You, You, Me.
Today, Tomorrow, Now.
On the border straddling peace and chaos.
One foot planted on the balance beam.
It’s that close of a call.
We are all one rabbit pull away from the magic show.
Pull, pull, make him appear.
One hop away from sticking our landing.
My feet are shaking.
Look up, child. Catapult.
Accept that we stand on moving ground.
We are one vow away from marriage,
One paint stroke away from mastery,
One dime away from a dollar,
One contraction away from birth,
One detour away from an amazing destination.
We are all one sunbeam away from a rainbow,
One sensation away from ecstasy,
One prayer away from salvation,
One Hallelujah away from Heaven,
One leap of faith away from enlightenment.
When you are one x away from y,
things can go either way.
It can happen to you, to me, to them, to us.
Listen. Look around. Practice gratitude. Practice love.
Anxiety, depression, people.
It’s about people. It’s about heart.
You are not alone. I see in.
He was one laugh away from you and me.
He was one smile away from healing.
And we are too.
Please don’t judge what you haven’t experienced.
It’s no more foreign than French fries and French kisses.
We are all one heartfelt hug away from each other.
There are only two things you need to say,
“You matter,” and “I care.”
Copyright © 2014 by Susan M. Featro, Voice Lifted. All Rights Reserved.