The Paths of Despair
Despair tinges life like a slow rotting fruit,
each day a deeper collapse of flesh,
an insidious spread of death in mind and body,
and without hope or care, despair can envelop a mind,
rendering it catatonic, lost to itself.
When hope eludes us,
what sense can anything make,
circumstances like ever-decreasing bounds,
holding us, unable to overcome their weight
and dark resolve, as this malaise become the only truth.
This is the state in which we consider the end,
a desperate plea for reprieve,
and in that train of thought, death seems reasonable,
to free us from the pain and excruciating torture
of self-abandonment and darkness.
From any other perspective
this desperation seems nonsensical,
to end a life over any circumstance or despair,
yet for the sufferer, it seems simply irrefutable,
an answer that is sure to free.
Yet reality sees a different plight,
despair just a feeling, not a mandate for suicide,
and when shown how feelings can be eased
and considered in balance,
the reasoning for self-harm becomes flawed in every way.
When someone or something is torn from our lives,
we may so easily see that loss as unbearable,
and the possibilities of life so slender, we see no point,
and thus despair becomes our only experience,
in mourning our loss.
Yet life is magnanimous,
as one door closes, another opens,
and possibility is only limited by our own beliefs,
so despair needs time to ease,
and the suffering a slow injection of hope for the future.
In loss, people need nurture,
kindness to let them mourn but also see a future,
beyond the overwhelming pain of despair,
something that will, in time, decrease
and allow the sun once again to shine.
Tony DeLorger © 2018
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O’ Despair – I have been there and so deep in it I was shocked when I finally awoke to life again and saw that the sun could still shine. It takes time, but, when given understanding from a nurturing soul, one can come out of it. Tony, your words of wisdom are so right there, so accurate, in describing the paths of despair – it brings back some painful memories then gives my heart joy in knowing I survived it. Excellent work, my dear poet. Excellent, indeed.
Thank you Phyllis, glad you related and we all face despair at some point, and that is when we need loved ones around us, to guide us through the ordeal. Cheers!