Shadow Boxing

Ladies and gentlemen,
gather round,
tonight’s the big fight,
a no-holds-barred spectacle,
where the only rules
are the ones we make
inside our heads.

Look at me,
cowering in the red corner,
210 pounds of flesh and fear—
but that’s a lie,
because when you count
the weight of life’s problems,
I’m crushed under a mountain,
each issue a stone,
a boulder on my chest.

And there,
in the opposite corner,
the challenger,
a heavyweight I can’t shake off,
weighing in at nights that stretch on forever,
and moments that feel like drowning.
It’s a darkness that knows my name,
a shadow creeping from the corners
of my mind,
called Depression,
ready to pin me down,
ready to whisper that I’m not enough.

This is the fight
we don’t choose,
the one that plays out
when the lights go dim,
and the audience disappears,
leaving me alone
with my own fists
and the echo of my doubts.
Tonight, it’s just me,
in this ring,
against the weight of everything.

(c)BobChristian2022

I want to climb
Inside your head,
Experience how
You saw things,

When you said
You’d had enough
Of this world, and
Wanted to leave it.

The lights, sounds,
Neurotransmitters
Shimmering; flashing
Inside of your brain.

The deafening silence
Inside this place
Swallows all of your
Screams for help whole.

It’s an Unbearable
Emptiness. Just one
Slip, and you could fall
Back into its deep abyss.

In this loneliness,
I thought you could
Use a hand, to grab
You when you’re falling.

To all of you who feel your not good enough or deserving of love and happiness. I say this…

If you were to look,
Into your mirror,
What would it say?

You’re a wonderful
Person, seeing the
Best in situations.

You’re remarkable,
Giving without regret,
Or asking in return.

You’re dedicated,
Supporting all of
Those around you.

You’re so loving,
Truly deserving of
Finding it yourself.

Look again into
Your mirror, and
Please just listen.