by Cheryl, Gulf Coast Poet

Nobody Cares

Photo by Daan Mooij from Unsplash

Nobody Cares

Nobody shares

my sorrows…

nobody cares!

Nothing repairs

my broken body…

nobody cares

about my pain.

Society tears

my heart out.

Nobody wears

my shoes.

Everyone stares

when I am angry,

everyone glares

when I demand my rights.

Everyone swears

that I am wrong.

Nobody cares

about the law!

Nothing repairs

my broken heart,

no one shares

my lonely nights.

No one dares

to get close to me,

nobody’s there

to dry my tears!

No one cares

about my good intentions,

no one shares

my utopian dreams,

no one dares

to champion my cause.

All my prayers

go unanswered.

Everyone fares

better without me.

Nobody cares!

Copyright© 2020 by Cheryl Batavia

This poem is an effort to portray the thoughts of a person who suffers from depression. In extreme depression, the person may feel hopeless, that the world is against him, and may be suicidal. Some are suffering from physical pain or are reacting to tragedies in their lives.

I have known two people who commited suicide. One had a wife and young children. One was a middle-aged man who had been an intelligent, popular friend when we were in high school. I have wondered many times what thoughts were in the mind of someone who would take their own life.

48 Comments

    1. Yeshu, I totally agree with what you say. I usually write about flowers and animals and happy moments, and I was hesitant to write about something sad. But you are absolutely right! We do need to talk about mental health and find ways to help those who are suffering. Thank you for sharing your kind thoughts. ❤
      Take care, Cheryl

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    1. Thank you, Cindy, for sharing your kind thoughts. I know that yoga and meditation may be helpful to people with anxiety and depression. Even physical exercise is helpful in lifting mood. I am not sure exactly what your therapy entails, but I think you are probably helping people to improve both physical and mental health. As a teacher, you hear some very sad stories. I am sure your daughter who is a teacher has experienced this.

      We wished we could send some of our rain your way the last couple of weeks. I hope you are safe and well. ❤ Cheryl

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    1. Michel, thank you so much for your thoughtful response. I was really just writing about depression in general. If you are thinking about the protesters, it is true that many people are suffering needlessly and their rights have been ignored. Thank you for your interpretation. I think it fits. ❤ Love, Cheryl

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  6. A beautiful poem and the words convey the depth of your empathy. As you stated I wonder at the loneliness and pain when making the decision to end one’s life and actually going through it. What dark place they must inhabit for this to be the only solution.
    Take care and be blessed and may we continue to say a prayer for those who feel unheard and lonely.

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    1. Penne, yes, you have articulated exactly how I have wondered about their experience. Sometimes they talk about ending their lives, and people don’t take it seriously. Some people seem perfectly OK, and people are shocked when they kill themselves. As a nurse, I am sure you have seen a lot.

      Thank you for your kind and thoughtful comments. ❤ I hope you are doing well. Cheryl

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      1. Mental health is one of the saddest diseases, because there is really no cure.
        Many times we ask why they won’t take their meds and they say the medications prevents them from feeling anything (zombie-like) and no one wants to just exist… very very sad.

        Liked by 1 person

    2. Yes, Pene, sometimes the cure is worse than the disease. For example, the opiates that were ubiquitously prescribed for pain ruined a lot of lives. Sometimes I think people would benefit by having someone to talk to, but insurance doesn’t cover adequate psychotherapy, so doctors throw drugs at the symptoms. I agree it’s very, very sad. Thank you for taking the time to comment and share your expertise. All the best! Cheryl ❤

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      1. Insurance and lawsuits have dictated that more time is spent documenting medical work than actually performing it … I find it so sad. I try to sit and chit chat with my patients when time permits, I will pull up a chair. But this is not always possible as you stated.

        Liked by 1 person

  8. You have such a kind compassionate outlook Cheryl … I’m sure their thoughts would go like that. Thanks for drawing attention to this topic.

    When one is feeling so hopeless and helpless they need to seek professional help to prevent suicide. It leaves so much pain and too many questions for those left behind!

    Liked by 1 person

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    1. Kate, thank you for your kind comments. There are many barriers to getting help. Insurance in the US typically covers minimal mental health services. What usually happens is they are given drugs to treat the symptoms. My brother is a psychologist, and he finds that the insurance companies are a problem, demanding voluminous paperwork and limiting care. The drugs that are prescribed sometimes have so many side effects that patients refuse to take them. I wish we had universal health care in the US. Perhaps the situation would improve. I agree with you about those left behind…must be so painful!

      All the best, Cheryl

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      Reply

  9. This is an extremely thought provoking poem and topic Cheryl. I had witnessed a suicide in real life, a man of about my age who worked as a food court waiter had been morbidly sick, was continuously unable to work for months and was fired from job. All this came out in a news article the next day. This man had one last time come to the food court (on 5 th floor of a mall) and had without talking to anyone jumped from the same foodcourt onto the central court. I was standing facing that central court with my daughter who was very young at that time. She was mentally scarred for quite sometime after this incident and kept asking us why people act like that. Next day the article mentioned that he had a wife and a small girl at home. My mind was very disturbed for a long time after this, just trying to think what would have gone through his mind before he finally convinced himself to take the final step. And how might be have convinced himself to say goodbye to his family the last time he walked out without telling them that he would never be back. He must have been pushed to such extremities by his sorrow and helplessness before he could convince himself to end his life. And maybe then, his mind would have echoed the thoughts of depression in the same way, rolling out over and over from all sides as your poem does, till those echoes fill up the whole mind and shut the other world out. A very sad state of mind Cheryl!

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    1. Deb, watching that happen must have been very traumatizing, especially for your young daughter! I can understand how someone with a terminal illness would make a decision to end his suffering, sparing both himself and his family. But the way in which he did it does not seem a very rational way to go about it. It was a shock to onlookers and must have been very hard for his family as well, especially with the newspaper coverage.

      I wonder if he had been able to get some hospice care, it would have ended better. I think what you said about his mind echoing thoughts of depression and shutting the other world out is probably the answer to why he ended it the way he did.

      My adopted son was twelve when my husband died and was so distraught that he talked about walking in front of a truck. He had seen his younger brother killed with a knife when he was four years old and was powerless to stop the attack. He blamed himself for his brother’s death for several years. He has a small knife scar on his hand from trying to protect his younger brother and still has nightmares about the murder at age thirty, despite extensive grief counseling.

      I am sorry for reminding you of the terrible event you witnessed. Thank you for your thoughtful response.

      Take care, Cheryl ❤

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      1. We cannot forget but have come out of that by now really, my daughter doesn’t refer to that incident any longer, but it was truly terrible at that time.

        It’s shocking to hear the incident to your adopted son, it’s so cruel for a young child to have to face such cruelty, I don’t think the scars of the mind ever heal completely, but hopefully by now he has learnt to cope with those. We live in a beautiful world that has such dark sides.

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    1. Thank you, D, for your thoughtful comments. ❤ I am pleased that you liked the poem. Yes, as you say, I think it is time to be aware of mental health issues. The pandemic has added terrible stress to all of our lives, but especially those who have been ill or lost loved ones, or those who have lost jobs and homes.

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    1. Shakti, thank you for sharing your kind thoughts! We do need to give more attention to mental illness and to try to more effectively help those who are depressed. ❤

      Part of the problem is that depression alters a person's perceptions of reality. They often feel that no one cares even when many people do care and are trying to help them.

      Thank you for taking the time to read and comment. It is very much appreciated. All the best! Cheryl

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  13. By the way there are quite a few resources for those who suffer with depression, but not so many for those who live with or care about someone with depression or other mental illnesses. One of the good ones is an educational course hosted by NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) that has proven very helpful for me and others who love someone with this very difficult problem.

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  14. A beautiful poem that captured the true essence of depression. In dark times one must remember that the spell of darkness is perhaps a canvas on which the star of our soul is meant to shine brighter. Every life matters, give my warm regards to your friends. 🙂 ❤

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    1. Thank you, Subbashini, for sharing your kind thoughts on this issue. ❤ The times are very stressful for all of us, but maybe even more so for those suffering from depression. I think you are right that some young people feel hopeless and end their lives without ever experiencing the good times that lie ahead. Take care, Cheryl

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  16. Beautifully written Cheryl. These are the exact thoughts that had haunted me for two years. Now that I’m better I realise that I wasn’t alone, that my loved ones always had my back. And this beautiful poem of yours gently reminded me of so. Thank you so much for sharing this ❤️❤️

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  17. Akriti, It means so much to me that you found the poem relatable, and that you liked it. I am sorry you went through a difficult period in your life, and I am so happy that you are better. ❤ It's wonderful that you had a supportive family! Thank you for sharing your experience with us! All the best wishes for the future! Cheryl

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  18. Very beautiful poem, Cheryl👌
    Depression is the most dangerous thing in anybody’s life.
    The aged people affected because of the depression.
    Aged people expect nothing but a companion who can spend good time with them.

    Anyway nice poem.
    Be safe.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Yes, Murali, depression puts the brakes on productivity and happiness, and I agree with you about the dangers!
      As far as older people go, the worst thing that can happen to them is to be ignored and alone. Sometimes just a phone call or a little note would help to alleviate their loneliness. My children live far away, and I miss them, but my daughter emails me photos of her activities and my son calls frequently. It means a lot to me.

      I am glad you like the poem. Thank you so much for sharing your kind thoughts. ❤

      All the best! Cheryl 🙂

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  19. Thank you for taking the time to actually raise awareness about the monster that depression is. A close friend of mine is going through therapy for the same. Societal pressures and expectations have pushed so many teenagers into the wretched hole of depression. You captured the meaning, the essence and the feelings linked with it so accurately and so well! ❤️

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  20. Thanks for sharing this.
    Many people are struggling emotionally, mentally and internally and even people close to them are unaware. I feel like we should constantly check up on each other with an honest how’re you, encouraging one another and exhibiting acts of kindness that can help prevent suicidal thoughts and suicide. When depressed people seek for our help we should willingly be available or help them engage with a much appropriate personnel if we’re unavailable.
    Loved the post 💚💚

    Liked by 1 person

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