Breaking Ground 109 Arts - Conquering the Beyond

I blinked my eyes in the white

Taking in such a sight

The restraint rubbed into my skin

It was then the fight began within

 

I bounced from hospital to hospital

My moods are so brittle

The voices in my head

Even follow me to bed

 

The whispers have corrupted my life

Piercing like a knife

Things I see don't exist

While my mind is in a mist

 

Then I had shock treatment

Everyone thought it was an achievement

It knocked my memories away

And left me with nothing to say

 

The voices are always whispering

Such anger and bickering

I have found ways to cope

And I cling to hope

 

The doctors all agree that I'm improving

With that they are approving

I fight many battles

As the war unravels

 

I continue a war that is beyond

And with help of others I bond

With hallucinations I fight

Attempting to find the light

 

These choices have introduced me to opportunities that open doors

Allowing a broken mind that soars

Those things heard and those unseen

Will NOT be controlling me

 

And with all being so

I will conquer my foes

I am a Veteran disabled by voices

I have been given a life of many choices

 

Erica McMurray is a Teapot Diplomat who participates with Borderless Arts TN. This poem reflects on her struggles in life.