Schizophrenia
Willows bend
with weight of stressful times,
near the stonewalled garden
flanked with light.
Their voice, the wind,
whispers joyless notes,
then shrieks
the Banshee's song
within my head.
Ravens' perch,
in lieu of flight, content
to watch
as evil wraiths
eclipse my mind,
where I committed
flee the forest maze,
whose rubber trees
distinctly scope my gaze,
while raging storms
mask full an opiate sun,
then electrify
to quell delirium.
Shadows dance,
jump
through the artist's palette
of tranquil hues,
splashing colors
of the spectrum
on my thoughts,
then leap
in a kaleidosope
of hope.
Jonquils sway,
as images serene
direct my feet,
along a snake-like path
to garden's edge,
where I,
no longer marked
by feral glares,
cool and haunting
hard, fixated stares,
view "Veronica Spicata,"
single bloom,
within a Monet landscape
titled "Life."
-
Author:
Tamara Beryl Latham (Pseudonym) (
Offline) - Published: November 26th, 2018 18:36
- Comment from author about the poem: Written for someone very close to me.
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 38
- Users favorite of this poem: Syd
Offline)
Comments5
You have so generously described my latest posting as a 'beautiful canvas with melodic words that continually flow' - well dear Tamara I could with all honestly use the same description to describe this excellent write. A super work indeed.
Why thank you, Michael. I'm elated to know you liked this poem. Thanks for the feedback. 🙂
That landscape of 'Life' is shown so wonderfully in your beautiful words Tamara.
Yes, "life" is the operative word in this real, but sad existence for some of us. Thanks for your input. 🙂
A fine write Tamara.
Michael's poems may be melodic, but ain't anything melodic about me singing! heehee.
Well it's good to know that you are a good distance from me. LOL! 🙂
The way you vividly describe Schizophrenia is nothing short of excellence in this poem. I almost felt like I was there, with Pink Floyd - Brain Damage playing in my head and visions of Ken Keseys - One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest running through my mind.
Brilliant writing Tamara - Syd
Well, Syd, I was writing from a personal experience (someone very close to me). I don't know if you made the metaphorical connection with some of the words in the poem. Example: The rubber tree is symbolic of the rubber mouthpiece placed in the patient's mouth prior to electroshock treatment.
There is more to the poem than meets the eye. I'm glad you enjoyed it and thank you for your input.
Yes, I can also see the connection to "One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest.
Whence is this monstrous thing, why & how to treat it...(St Augustine Book VIII Confessions).... a topic dear to my own heart.... Here it would seem, at least in word, you have created a thing of beauty from something all too often feared or misunderstood and correspondingly despised.... anyone would be proud to have these words written for them, I'm sure..... Neville
Yes, Neville, unfortunately those with mental psychoses are misunderstood. Schizophrenia is a medical condition and using PET scanning and computer imaging with the positron emitter Fluorine-18 it is clearly shown there is a lack of glucose uptake in the brain. Yet, these people are held accountable by the public for something they have no control over. Same thing with those who are diagnosed with bipolar disorder.
When will the public understand, these people cannot help it. The treatment, however, with drugs like Navane, Stelazine, Thorazine, is almost as bad as the medical condition. There are probably better drugs out today, but they're all bad.
Thanks for your feedback, Neville.
just for the record.. I spent my entire career as a Clinical Specialist in both Psychiatry and Substance Misuse... stelazine or trifluperazine was removed from the UK market over ten years ago.. by and large, the public dont have much of a clue.. tis the media who paint those who have a mental disorder in a bad light and who feed off the ignorance and misguided prejudices of a very fickle and inadequate society.. people only fear what they dont understand... also for the record, I used to regularly prescribe certain neuroleptics and thymoleptics off licence with oft good therapeutic value... Best, Neville
Neville, it was over two decades ago that I spoke of someone very close to me who was diagnosed with schizophrenia with paranoid tendencies. At that time, the drugs I referenced were the ones prescribed. For this reason I mentioned there are probably better drugs out there. I am a retired research and development chemist, but I did work in the cyclotron for a year synthesizing positron emitting drugs for PET scanning. After that venture I went into pharmaceuticals (R&D). Best,
I actually quite liked stelazine.. not that I ever tried it myself.. it was cheap and often very effective.. as far as I am aware, production of it was only stopped due to a couple of sudden deaths that were possibly attributed to it... the same reason why clozapine was stopped in the UK many years ago.. but which was reintroduced again around 20 or so years ago with some fantastic positive clinical outcomes in otherwise so called unresponsive schizophrenia's... All Good Things, Neville
I recall some of those drugs made the patients appear as zombies who, unfortunately, experienced a useless existence of sitting in straight-backed chairs and falling asleep. The side effects outweighed the benefits.
I think that say's far more about irresponsible over prescribing trends, plus the use of neuroleptic cocktails & general societies values at that time.. no drug should be applied as a chemical cosh and tapered or discontinued if unwelcome side effect profiles begin to emerge... No drugs are totally free from potential side effects, are they.. and sadly, but most probably will never be..
I agree with you. I'm certain the future neuroleptics will generate less side effects than those of yesteryear. We can only hope, since many in the world today appear to have mental problems.
I am quite certain advances will eventually be made within this very important area... but accept that in the quest for improvements, glitches might well be experienced along the way.... and in real time, one only has to blink before yesterday's possibilities become tomorrows successes or failures... Neville
Yes, that is true, Neville. We'll see!
yes, let's keep our eyes open & fingers crossed...
Haldol, or Haloperidol.. or Serancace even was probably the one anti-psychotic that I would prescribe only very occasionally.... funny thing,, side effects were often greater in very small doses... not one of my faves...
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