CREATIVE WRITING COMPETITION
Poetry Finalist
The Way You Are
by Elizabeth F Sinclair
I remember thinking, my heart thumping, ”Oh no! It cannot be!”
Why did this happen to you? My happy child, my sweet baby!
As I watched your world completely crumble all around you
Just as you had started on a path leading you on to ventures new
I watched helplessly as you started to slip so far away from me
Not physically it was in your mind where you became trapped no longer free
And as every day did pass you became lost more and more
And as a mother it hurt me deep in the depths of my core
The day came when we both knew I could know longer support you alone
You knew what you had to do! you told me with eyes that looked like stone
Eyes that could know longer see the real world at any time of the day!
As your mind kept playing tricks on you all I could do was pray
For some one out there to eventually help bring you back to me.
And as you left to go to hospital you asked me not to visit so I could not see
Just how cruel your illness could be as your world turned into a nightmare
Stuck on a continuous loop of torment where no brave person would ever dare?
To enter in alone, yet you were alone! Lost and struggling to break free from it
My thoughts were of you while you were away especially at night alone I would sit
Waiting for news when you would be returning home so I could just hold you
And longing to see the spark of light return in your beautiful eyes so blue
To see you enjoy life again laughing, having fun and joking with friends to
Even though it’s only for fragments of time as they can never completely cure you
I have learnt to accept this fact that I may lose you sometimes for a while!
And during this lonely period I think of you an remember your lovely smile
So when you’re lost and far from me I would like to think you know deep down inside
That I will always love and support you just the way you are I will stand by your side
“As soon as I heard about the ‘see me’ creative writing competition I was really keen to be involved. For the theme ‘support’ I was inspired to write a poem for all those people who experience mental health problems.
“I wrote from the heart, as I could never truly empathise with those who suffer from this invisible illness, more often than not they feel alienated and invisible. I’m thrilled to have made it through to the final stage of the competition. I’m really looking forward to meeting the judges at the winners’ day and finding out who the overall prize winners are.”
Elizabeth Sinclair