The First Time

When you tell someone about your mental illness for the first
It's not the same kind of first time when you get your first kiss
Or the first time you drive your car after getting your license
When you tell someone about your mental illness
You take off the magic invisible cloak
And present yourself in the nude
Telling someone about your mental illness for the first time
Is like...
is like when you take your clothes off in front of someone for the first time
And that someone is your lover
And that first time is the reveal of all the things underneath the surface
You shed your clothes like a snake sheds its skin
Letting that person see every crevice and curve and scar and
Imperfection
(Breathe)
When you tell someone about your mental illness for the first time
You wait
Maybe they'll ask "are you sure it's real?"
Maybe they'll say "get over it"
But you hope and pray to the stars and gods of the universe
That they roll up their sleeve to display their heart
Beating and stuttering and scarred just like yours
(Breathe)
Telling someone about your mental illness for the first time
Is similar to making love
The exchange of vulnerable energies
The moment in time where the ride stops at the top of the track
You see the fall below you
And you hope they're holding your hand on the way down