Art of Accompaniment

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 mind's 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”

USA, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine’s contact information and hours of availability as a resource for people seeking mental health support:

Available Monday Through Friday, 10 A.M. – 10 P.M. ET, 800-950-NAMI (6264). Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text “HelpLine” to 62640.

This poem was 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.