My Voice Through Poetry

"She's Depressed."

You wanna know
One of the biggest reasons
Why I don't like people knowing
I'm depressed?
Because they treat me like a
Kicked-
No, ran over-
Puppy
From then on.

Like it's relevant in every single
Discussion or thought or action
When I'm around people

Girls with golden lives
Get playfully swatted by their boyfriends.
They make the 🥺 face and say
"Now I'm depreeeseed"
Until they laugh it off like it's nothing.

Teachers lean into me and whisper,
"So how are things at home? Are you being healthy?"
Don't fake it.
You're required to ask those questions,
And even if I do answer honestly-
Which I usually don't,
Disregarding it with a "Fine"-
We both know
You're just gonna report the juicy gossip
To your fellow teachers over lunch.
(Excluding the O.G. teachers. You know who you are.)

No, my mental health doesn't
Define me.
And you don't have to bring it up
Like I'm hypersensitive.
Believe it or not,
I'm more than the mask.

But don't look in my direction
Every single time mental health is mentioned.
I am not weak.
If I can survive my mental health,
Then I sure as hell can survive your
Sympathetic comments.