Carry On Koby

‘A tweeter, Lauren Kay (@laurenikay)

asked us to say,

to tell her,

what inspired us to tell our stories:

I write my story,

sometimes dark,

but oft times, one of glory,

to help people who suffer,

who might be having a rougher time than me,

– and I have been through tough times:

I write about them in my rhymes.

Mental illness is my story,

depression,

regression,

darkness – pitch black,

on the rack,

disconnection,

alone,

surrounded by love but feeling lonely,

like I’m the only one who can understand,

to not give a fig whether I live or die,

to not see the point of my life,

it’s like a knife being driven though my soul,

leaving me feeling anything but whole.

In 2001, I was as good as dead

– enough said!

But I’ve survived,

and now I thrive!

My story is not actually the darkness,

it’s the light:

I want to scream it from the rooftops,

“I’m alright – you can survive,

be reborn, come alive!!”

I want to be a beacon of light,

light of hope for those who think there is none,

who think that all hope is gone.

If I can survive,

and thrive,

I have to tell my story

in a book, in blogs, in my writing and poetry,

perhaps get out there and add in some oratory.

My purpose is clear,

and it’s dear to my heart,

I’m not an enigma,

I just want to see the elimination of the stigma,

I want to bring clarity, see the back of ignorance,

which won’t happen by chance:

we must all raise awareness of depression,

of mental illness,

we need to see activity, not stillness,

we must reach out, shout out loud,

“You are not alone, there’s help out there,

no need to despair;

remember, your dark thoughts do not reflect your reality,

they are just symptoms of your illness!”

The right pills for your ills,

and your own input

– that must be understood;

for me, it’s running,

but you can walk

– talk, eat right, sleep tight…

it’s a journey, a process,

mental decluttering,

getting rid of the mess in your head.

And let in music, art – 

at any rate, you must meditate!

Take back control of your life,

get it back,

you don’t lack the strength to do that,

you just need the right ingredients

and you need to do it immediately!

My story is there to encourage,

to give you courage,

to inspire,

to lift you higher and higher…

I guess my writing is a calling,

I don’t want to hear of anyone stalling.

You see, I genuinely care:

“PLEASE, DON’T DESPAIR!

SO MANY OF US ARE THERE FOR YOU…”

and that’s as true as the day is long,

it’s as real as my story is the real deal.

Grab onto my story, my message to you,

every word is true:

“I am a survivor, I have come through,

and you can, too:

please, understand, I, millions of us,

we are holding your hand!”’

Koby