There was a time not too long afar,
Where life was the norm;  mortgage, partner, dog and car.
The journey of life has no set plan,
It may seem to be traveling straight and narrow,
But against all wishes it may unexpectedly fan.
During this voyage we all aim to seek,
For many a person their vision is cloudy, and bleak.
When your life begins to deviate from this norm,
Your minds response is governed by an instinctive form.
To do or die, to fight or flight, if the mind is not of health,
There is no defense that can be bought by wealth.
The mind is powerful we all know,
In times of crisis it is its own foe.
When your head hits the pillow late at night,
All you crave is some respite.
Your thoughts won’t shut down to give you rest,
This will eventually delet your smile, to a frown at best.
When your thoughts are foggy amongst a cloud you can’t fathom,
You begin to spiral down this unwarranted chasm.
The fog is a black dog.
It roams freely and bites at will, without intervention and self preservation.
Its bite will inevitably kill.
The black dog is a clone of ones’ mind, open for all to see,
Allow it to roam and it will devour you, as it has to me.
One out of four, this dog will seek.
Its jaws are too powerful for the emotionally meek.
I have been bitten by this indiscriminant and unforgiving beast.
I thought I alone could conquer and resist its total debilitating feast.
I chose to ignore its prior warnings of desire.
My conscious mind made me a liar.
How naive I was, to reason,
That I alone could defeat my own minds’ treason.
We start to deflate in mood and aspiration,
Like an unloved child’s toy we end up in misery and condemnation.
The isolation is a factor that affects all bitten.
Yet we are told, we will improve, because, it is written.
To those who are bitten, and have become infected,
We succumb to dark desires, without being detected.
The black dog hides behind many masks,
This temporarily allows us to perform our daily tasks.
With the duration of time and self denial,
There comes a point where no mask can be retrieved, from an endless file.
Tired, weary and socially inept,
The ever tightening hold, will never ease, until you accept.
We all try to escape and ignore the realism of today, (whether through the use of masks, alcohol or drugs) ,
We all visibly start to self decay.
Ownership of the problem is the first step to take,
Discard these masks, they are an emotional fake.
See your doctor, search on the net,
Just ensure you are informatively well kept.
Seek a referral for specialist care,
The first meeting will seem daunting, but it will confront the dog, in an emotional dare.
The journey to improvement requires time and fare,
It hastens when we are amongst those, who truly show care.
A simple hug, a little smile,
Will work miracles to exhaust the internal fire.
Once all the masks are gone and you are finally self aware,
Always be true to your heart, and refute, any potential dare.