Stages

by Jessica Wheeler

Denial

It cowers in the corner,
newly born.
I turn my spite-soaked back,
riddled with resentment,
and pull the thin veil
to sink beneath its cover.
I will not watch it crawl,
but it breathes,
a shadow,
at the edge of my own.
Threatening to merge,
it waits, as I do,
for nothing.
While I ignore its cries,
and mine.
I turn to stone,
silently refusing
the darkness at my feet.

~

Anger

It screams
a piercing shrill

that grips my core.
It pokes and presses
every bruise,

clawing at my skin
with high-pitched scratches.
Enraged, I seize it.
A thunderous wrath
echoes within,
bubbling in the chambers
of my worn-out heart.
Relentless waves crash,
unstoppable,
and a storm
unleashes its fury.

~

Bargaining

Fear consumes,
as the burning truth
nears the brink.
Boiling rage

simmers
to a helpless

desperation.
I plead for a reprieve,
a momentary pause
in the overwhelming pain.
Offering promises,
a compromise…
myself.

Tossing coins,
into an overflowing well,

and watching

as my wishes spill.

~

Depression

Rain cascades
from hollow black eyes,
as its touch
pierces my chest.
And the dam

breaks…
flooding the space
with the pent-up poison
that's been swelling within.
I trade my veil
for a heavy blanket of fog.
Hope is smothered,
as colors dull to gray,
and I surrender
to the haze.

~

Acceptance

It holds me
in its growing arms,
stroking my dampened hair,
whispering comfort
as if to apologize
for its very existence.
It is mine,
born of a final breath
to dwell in my shadow,
and thrive within a void.
I tend to it