This is a parody poem I wrote based on Danez Smith’s Alternate Names for Black Boys (Link: http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazine/poem/247334).

This poem is about the things I’ve heard other people say about their perspective on depression, things I’ve felt describe my depression, and observations I’ve made about myself and others with depression. This poem is a reflection on my struggle with depression and how there are so many ideas surrounding what exactly depression is. I hope you enjoy and this poem gets you thinking about the stigma of mental illness versus what it actually is.

Alternate Names for Depression by Brianna Goux

  1. Attention addict syndrome
  2. A mental black hole
  3. The archangel of friendship
  4. The inability to cope with “no”
  5. The nubs of bitten off nails
  6. The Berlin Wall of my life
  7. Fake
  8. The ultimate civil war
  9. The inability to smile
  10. The silence between family
  11. The tear stains on a pillow
  12. Mental malleability
  13. Mascara marks on sweatshirt sleeves
  14. The ever approaching finish line
  15. Pill popping problem
  16. The crippling phobia of the unknown