Overwhelming Sadness

Sadness takes a long time to digest
No matter how many spoons I take

It leaves a bitter taste in the mouth
I just can’t seem to swallow the reality

That I am depressed, that I feel like something
Inside of me is sinking and I have no idea what it is

The shallow breath of happiness doesn’t reach my lungs
The way it once did

I am a failure
A human incapable of recognizing her own humanity

I toss and turn at night, waking up catching my breath
And running out of the room — a self-soothing technique
​
For the girl who has never hugged her father
For the girl
Who’s too exhausted to swim beneath the ocean of her pain

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