The Army of ME: An Allegory on DEPRESSION
~ written by Jacqueline (JAKE) Pratte
In INNOCENCE my two best friends were PLAYFULNESS and FUN
And along the paths of JOY and CREATIVITY we’d run
IMAGINATION told us stories about the Sea of DREAMS
The Land of ABUNDANCE, Ranges of TRUTH and other places he had been
I had a crush on MAGIC at NAIVETY’s Primary School
Until JEALOUSY and EMBARRASSMENT made me appear the fool
I raced down the Halls of HUMILIATION to the basement of BROKEN HEARTS
Tried running away to the Isle of SADNESS to make a hopeful start
Got lost, though glimpsed FREEDOM’S sails, before PUNISHMENT hunted me down
For MISGUIDED LOVE and OVERPROTECTION feared that I might drown
After being handed over to INTIMIDATION, I was locked in INSECURITY
Then eventually transferred onto a train bound for RESPONSIBILITY
At the border of HESITATION, DOUBT and WORRY had embarked
Brothers, con-men, friends in arms, I, their unknowing mark
Convinced at the end of the line, in CONFORMITY, I’d be lost
I agreed to let them help me, I didn’t care the cost
We chugged along through BOREDOM and the desert of FRUSTRATION
Escaping somewhere in CONFUSION, near DISAPPOINTMENT’s station
The nearest town was OBSESSION, where I fell in love with SELF-DEFEAT
After years of abuse, ran until the Sea of LONELINESS splashed my feet
Along the shores of LOSS, I stumbled upon the cliffs of INJURY
Where waves of FAILURE and rains of REJECTION came crashing down on me
When I finally surfaced and caught my breath in the coves of COMPLACENCY
I soon discovered they tipped the cape of the Wastelands of SCARCITY
HOPELESS was the first who found me washed upon the sand
BLAME nursed my wounds with LIES, while RESENTMENT held my hand
They told me the mountains of MANIPULATION were clearly where I should go
Climb the jagged peaks of SELF-PITY to EXPECTATION’s plateau
The higher I rose the temperature dropped, thanks to the chill of FEAR
Took a wrong turn somewhere and slipped on the dangerous slopes of SELF-DESPAIR
I tumbled forever it seemed, landing in DESPERATION’S tomb
Where VICTIM’s choir sang a lament to my impending doom
I tried to imagine the Land of ABUNDANCE and the Ranges of TRUTH
But MEMORY, too, had abandoned me, stealing the stories of the my youth
As I cowered in the shadows, INSTINCT built a fortress to protect
With armor and shields and weapons from SELF-DESTRUCTION and REGRET
In the dark a battle raged with GUILT and SHAME and NEED
Silently ANGER and DEPRESSION attacked, while PRIDE just watched me bleed
They pillaged my very Being and nearly took my life
I narrowly escaped through the empty caves of MISERY and STRIFE
Tears of OVERWHELMENT burned as they trickled down my cheek
And the poison from DESPERATION’s stings had left me trembling and weak
First the mist of DISCONNECTION, then the fog of POWERLESSNESS
Blinded me as I wandered aimlessly through the tunnels of UNWORTHINESS
I found the stream of SUFFERING and SORROW and followed it to the heart
Where a bolt of UNDERSTANDING pierced me, as a dart
Falling to my knees, the spark of HOPE ignited me free
For in the pools of SELF-REFLECTION, I glimpsed into the Army of ME
SURRENDER lifted and carried my body, for the war had taken its toll
To the soothing waters of ACCEPTANCE to heal my broken soul
The scars of COWARDICE became tattoos of feathers on my skin
Silvery symbols to remind what released the Phoenix of WILL within
SUPPORT threw down a harness and rope from somewhere high above
ENCOURAGEMENT and DETERMINATION pulled me toward the light of LOVE
ENTHUSIASM and GRATITUDE met me at the top
Where COMPASSION and ALLOWING flew me straight to my next stop
From the base of OPTIMISM, MOTIVATION was by my side
Through the Pass of AUTHENTICITY to where Mount VULNERABLE resides
Its beauty painted a magnificent view from the valley of HUMILITY
There in the meadow I learned from PERSPECTIVE, the power of TRANSPARENCY
On the gentle hills of FORGIVENESS, I met HONOR and INTEGRITY
Who taught me the art of APPRECIATION needed to reach SERENITY
Through the forests of FORGIVENESS, flowed river FAITH in the UNKNOWN
Nurturing the flowers of WISDOM and TRUST, GRACE had planted and grown
From the summit of AWARENESS, I could see as far as the Sea of DREAMS
And all the people and places on the journey taken in between
Forgotten childhood friends, MYSTERY and MARVEL, reappeared
And in the symphony of SILENCE, the voice of MINDFULNESS rang clear
He said, “Remember the pools of SELF-REFLECTION and within them what was seen,
For in the years to come you’ll travel again many roads where you have been
And all the faces falsely perceived to imprison or rescue thee
Were obeying the orders of EGO, under the misguided SELF-LOVE of ME
So INSPIRE your emotional legions through PARTNERSHIP and LOVE
Show how PASSION and ENTHUSIASM may lift them all above
How FEAR is one’s greatest ally and to embrace UNCERTAINTY
For everything and everyone, are the collective Army of ME
