“See Me”

Two old and cracked window panes, or two square eyes looking out

on an unseeing world from behind a closed door,

I see the world and the people outside, but does the world “see me”

indeed does the world care?

Some on us in this world may have at one time or another for

any number of reasons felt in the depths of despair,

a deep and dark despair where we feel enclosed within a dark, oh so dark tunnel

with no light or end in sight, err only the darkness of perpetual night,

as portrayed by the image below.

As regardless of how immune or invincible we may feel

none of us are immune to mental illness in it’s many shapes and forms,

which has on occasion a habit of sneaking up on us and before we even know

it, or perhaps if we are lucky enough to avoid it someone close to us may not be so fortunate.

Perhaps one day the world outside may open it’s door to you or I

when people realise we are indeed all the same,

all that is needed is a bit of understanding of this so intangible aye

and painful of illnesses, no more of cracked square windows,

no more of closed or locked doors, no more of stigma,

no more of shame or blame.

Just perhaps the world will “see me“, behind the square and

cracked window pane, if someone would take a moment to just look they may see

the real me not what your perception of me may be, and you may even be

pleasantly surprised as you look through my old cracked window panes,

if only to discover that I look no different from you really.

All I ask is that you please “See Me”.

– John Byrne