Glen Merrilees his poems to raise awareness MH from personal experience

I met and heard Glen merrilees   speaking at the ALLAINCE conference last year sharing his wonderful poems about his life and to raise awareness on mental health issues 

He sent me a few today you can follow Glen @glenmerrilees 

Mental health - Awareness

FAIRGROUND FROM HELL

I’M VISITING THE FAIRGROUND

FOLK SAY I LOOK WELL

BUT I’M VISITING THE FAIRGROUND

THE ONE THEY BUILT IN HELL.

YET AGAIN I’M STRUGGLING

FOR I AM NO DAY TRIPPER

MOOD IS UP THEN DOWN AGAIN.

CHAINED TO THE THE BIG DIPPER.

STOMACH ON THE WALTZER

MY BODIES ON GHOST TRAIN

HORRIFIC THOUGHTS OF SUICIDE

FLASHING THROUGH MY BRAIN.

I’M ON THE HELTER SKELTER

I CLIMB AND REACH THE TOP

GLAD TO PAY FOR FUN RIDE

THEN SUDDENLY I DROP.

BROWN NUTS FROM THE TROPICS

I SIT AND WONDER WHY

I’M A SELF DEFEATING TARGET

A COCONUT THAT’S SHY.

SMALL FORTUNE FOR MY TICKET

TRY AND HOOK A DUCK

BUT LIKE THIS SOULS THAT EMPTY

I AM OUT OF LUCK.

WATER FLUMES WERE HOPELESS

LIKE TIG I’M ALWAYS HET

THOUGH THE SUN IS SHINING

I ALWAYS END UP WET.

PAID FOR THE CLAIRVOYANT

MY FUTURE COULD I SEE ?

BUT OMENS WERE HORRENDOUS

TURNED WHITE ON SEEING ME.

I TOOK SEAT UPON A DODGEM

I WOULD DUCK AND DIVE

USELESSNESS AND SELF REBUKE

WHY AM I ALIVE.

I WAS SAT UPON A PONY

ON THAT MAGIC CAROUSEL

MADE THE FACE THAT’S SMILEY

SO NOT A SOUL COULD TELL.

I VISITED THE FAIRGROUND

YET NOT A SOUL COULD TELL

I VISITED A FAIRGROUND

THE ONE THEY BUILT IN HELL.

DEPRESSION

CAN YOU SEE ME THROUGH THE DARKNESS

CAN YOU SEE ME THROUGH THE GLOOM

DEPRESSIONS MADE A HOME FOR ME

A CELL, A TINY ROOM.

REACHING OUT FOR ANSWERS

I TRY TO QUELL THE PAIN

SOMEONE STOLE THE SUNSHINE

I’M IN THE DARK AGAIN.

THERE’S LOVED ONES ALL AROUND ME

ARMS STRETCHED OUT IN AID

DEPRESSIONS GRIP IS STRONGER THOUGH

IT’S ME WHOSE BEING PLAYED.

THOUGHTS THEY COME TO HAUNT ME

KEEP FLASHING THROUGH MY HEAD

YOU WORTHLESS, USELESS, WASTE OF SPACE

YOU ARE BETTER DEAD.

I’M JUST A SINKING BATTLESHIP

ON A STORMY SEA OF PAIN

A JELLYFISH UPON A BEACH

BENEATH THE ACID RAIN.

THIS SICKNESS KEEPS RETURNING

ON AND OFF FOR YEARS

I’VE FOUGHT SO MANY BATTLES

I’VE SHED SO MANY TEARS.

YET I SHALL KEEP ON FIGHTING

AS I HAVE NO OTHER CHOICE

IGNORING ALL THE MADNESS

AND THAT SUICIDAL VOICE.

SO LISTEN HERE DEPRESSION

PUT THIS UPON YOUR WALL

I’LL CRUSH YOU UNDERNEATH MY HEEL

AND I SHALL STAND UP TALL.

BARRIERS

THERE’S PEOPLE THROWING INSULTS

THERE’S PEOPLE THROWING STONES

YOU CANNOT SEE THIS ILLNESS

NO SIGN OF BROKEN BONES.

SO MANY NASTY COMMENTS

REMARKS ARE SO UNKIND

YOU CANNOT SEE THIS DARKNESS

THIS POISON IN THE MIND.

HEY LOOK, THAT GUY IS MENTAL

A LOONEY, WHAT A WASTE

YOUR BITTER, TWISTED COMMENTS

LEAVE AN ACRID TASTE.

JUST REMEMBER I’M A VICTIM

TO THIS PAIN YOU CANNOT SEE

DEPRESSIONS MADE A HOME IN HELL

ESPECIALLY FOR ME.

DO NOT JUDGE THIS COVER

YOU SIMPLY HAVE TO LOOK

I’M DROWNING IN A SEA OF PAIN

PAGES MISSING FROM THIS BOOK.

WOULD YOU BERATE THE LOWLY CRIPPLE

AND CALL POOR SOUL A NAME

MY ILLNESS NEEDS NO CRUTCHES

HANG YOUR HEAD IN SHAME.

I DO NOT PLEAD FOR SYMPATHY

UNDERSTANDING IS THE KEY

AS WITHOUT THIS MURDEROUS ILLNESS

YOU’RE JUST THE SAME AS ME.

JUST SHOW SOME UNDERSTANDING

AND MAYBE LEND YOUR EARS

THEN MAYBE YOU COULD SAVE A LIFE

OR STEM THE FLOW OF TEARS.

BREAKING DOWN THE BARRIERS

I TRY TO CHANGE YOUR VIEW

ONE IN FOUR’S A VICTIM

AND THE NEXT ONE COULD BE YOU.

Love stories 

HAVE YOU ?

HAVE YOU EVER SEEN THE BEAUTY

IN A PARTNERS CHILDBIRTH PAIN

OR FELT HER ADORATION

WHILE DANCING IN THE RAIN

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED HER SLEEPING

AS YOU GENTLY STROKED HER SKIN

ADORATION IN YOUR FINGERTIPS

A LOVE FROM DEEP WITHIN

HAVE YOU EVER SUFFERED HEARTACHE

BEING PARTED FOR A DAY

COUNTING DOWN THE SECONDS

YOU’D TRADE YOUR SOUL AWAY

HAVE YOU EVER SEPERATED

AND SUFFERED MONSTROUS PAIN

EVERY FIBRE IN YOUR BODY

YEARNS TO HOLD HER ONCE AGAIN

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED A THUNDERSTORM

IN A LOVERS WARM EMBRACE

OR CAUGHT A TEAR OF HAPPINESS

RUNNING DOWN HER FACE

HAVE YOU EVER SHARED A SUNSET

THEN WATCHED THE STARS ABOVE

THE BUBBLE THAT YOUR LIVING IN

A BUBBLE FILLED WITH LOVE

HAVE YOU EVER HEARD CONTENTMENT

IN A LOVERS SUBTLE SIGHS

TWO AS ONE UNITED

AS YOU LAY BETWEEN HER THIGHS

ALL THESE THINGS WELL I HAVE DONE

AND OH SO MANY MORE

A LUCKY, LUCKY, LUCKY, MAN

WITH THE WOMAN I ADORE.

COPYRIGHT © GLENN MERRILEES

The Westquarter Rose

A started go’an tae disco’s

Where I met ma prom night  queen

A walked in’tae that jam packed bar

She wi’s the only one I seen

So noo I’ve met ma Aileen

Ma sunshine in the sky

That deep depression lifted

Now tears of joy I’d cry

It didn’t take that long tae see

Tae see she wi’s the one

Three years of love she gave me

Then she gifted me a son

Her love it gently snared me

And slowly pulled me in

For me not not to return it

Would be a moral sin

How much I now adore her

There ain’t nobody knows

She’s gorgeous she’s my princess

She’s my own Westquarter rose

COPYRIGHT © GLENN MERRILEES

she’s my lifebuoy when I’m drowning

She’s my anchor when I’m high

She’s always stood beside me

I’ve goat tae question why

Please tell me what you see in me

Are you low in self esteem

You’ve went and picked a nightmare

But you could have had your dream

There’s better men are out there

Bigger apples oan the tree

But I must have a guardian angel

For I’m blessed that you opted fur me

So what is it that you see in me

When I’m sick, I’m sad, I’m down

You lift, understand, and heal me

You’re my laughter you’re my clown

The things that we’ve been through

All the problems that arose

You’ve always stood beside me

My own Westquarter Rose

The years they passed like weekends

An a wi’s happy fur a while

Though I’d struggle through the winters

When I’d wear a plastic smile

By Glenn Merrilees

COPYRIGHT © GLENN MERRILEES