81 Depression Poems to Get Through Tough Times
Depression can be a debilitating mental health condition that affects millions of people worldwide.
Depression poems offer a unique perspective on this challenging experience, providing comfort, understanding, and hope.
Whether it’s famous poems or dark ones, different categories of depression poems offer diverse insights into the dark depths of depression.
From deep and dark to inspirational and uplifting, these depression poems can help individuals navigate through tough times and find solace in words.
Furthermore, poems about depression can be a helpful tool for parents, teachers, and mental health professionals to initiate conversations about mental health and promote a greater understanding of this important topic.
Famous Depression Poems
These famous poems about depression provide a powerful and relatable perspective on the experience of living with depression. So let’s read them!
1. Behind the Mask
by Melisa Bernards
Hiding the hurt, hiding the pain,
Hiding the tears that fall like rain.
Saying I’m fine when I’m anything but.
This ache in my soul rips at my gut.
My skin is on fire; I burn from within.
The calm on my face is an ongoing sin.
The world must stay out; I’ve built up a wall.
My fragile lie will collapse should it ever fall.
Loneliness consumes me; it eats away the years
Until my life is swallowed by unending fears.
Waiting for someone to see I wear a mask
And care enough to remove it; is that too much to ask?
2. Living A Lie
by Lee W. Barker
Walking into a typhoon,
Swimming against the tide,
That’s just how it feels,
When my truth I have to hide.
Pretending you’re really happy,
When inside you want to cry.
Feeling unbelievably low,
But your exterior shows you’re high.
Forgetting how to feel happy,
‘Cause your default is set to sad.
Forgetting all the good times,
Just remembering the bad.
Not wanting to leave the house
Or talk to anyone today.
Walking with my head down,
In my bed I want to stay.
Not seeing a light at the end,
Just stormy skies up ahead.
I can’t see a way out of this.
Maybe I’d be better off dead?!
A feeling of guilt arises,
For two lives depend on me.
My special boys I love so much,
If only they could see…
These dark thoughts I have inside,
The bad things I want to do,
The hurt I cause to myself,
These scares upset me too.
The one wish that I have
Is my kids never feel this pain
Or the feeling of self-hatred
Under dark clouds filled with rain.
As I look into the future,
The old me will resurrect one day.
I’ll then smile a real smile and say,
“I really do feel good today.”
3. The Sum of Life
by Ben King
Nothing to do but work,
Nothing to eat but food,
Nothing to wear but clothes
To keep one from going nude.
Nothing to breathe but air,
Quick as a flash ‘t is gone;
Nowhere to fall but off,
Nowhere to stand but on.
Nothing to comb but hair,
Nowhere to sleep but in bed,
Nothing to weep but tears,
Nothing to bury but dead.
Nothing to sing but songs,
Ah, well, alas! alack!
Nowhere to go but out,
Nowhere to come but back.
Nothing to see but sights,
Nothing to quench but thirst,
Nothing to have but what we’ve got;
Thus through life we are cursed.
Nothing to strike but a gait;
Everything moves that goes.
Nothing at all but common sense
Can ever withstand these woes.
4. To Fight Aloud is Very Brave
by Emily Dickinson
To fight aloud is very brave,
But gallanter, I know,
Who charge within the bosom,
The cavalry of woe.
Who win, and nations do not see,
Who fall, and none observe,
Whose dying eyes no country
Regards with patriot love.
We trust, in plumed procession,
For such the angels go,
Rank after rank, with even feet
And uniforms of snow.
5. Don’t, My Boy, Feel Blue
by William Henry Dawson
Sometimes one feels as if he’d lost
His last and dearest friend;
And that a bare existence costs
More than one has to spend.
Should such a feeling ever take
Possession, boy, of you,
Strain every nerve its chain to break,
And don’t, my boy, feel blue.
No matter if the cold should drop
Below the thirty line;
Don’t fume, and fret, and scold, but stop
And smile, and say “it’s fine.”
Behind each cloud, however dense,
There is a silver hue;
Then exercise your common sense,
And don’t, my boy, feel blue.
Or if beneath the scorching rays
Of summer’s sun you’re called
To walk, rough shod, plain duty’s ways,
Until footsore and galled,
Go right along with patient tread,
And whate’er else you do,
Keep a right heart and level head,
And don’t, my boy, feel blue.
For every man who does his best,
According to the light
That God has placed within his breast,
Is right—most surely right.
And when that little silent guide
Tells you that what you do
Is right, you may in him confide,
And don’t, my boy, feel blue.
The great highway that skyward leads,
Goes not through vice and crime;
Its steps are just the little deeds
Performed, each hour of time.
Be sure, then, that each act is right,
And each heartbeat is true;
Then you will find each day so bright
‘Twill dissipate the blue.
6. Hope and Despair
by Arthur Weir
You love the sun and the languid breeze
That gently kisses the rosebud’s lips,
And delight to see
How the dainty bee,
Stilling his gauze-winged melodies
Into the lily’s chalice dips.
I love the wind that unceasing roars,
While cringe the trees from its wrath in vain,
And the lightning-flash,
And the thunder-crash,
And skies, from whose Erebus depths outpours
In slanting drifts the autumnal rain.
You sigh to find that the time is here
When leaves are falling from bush and tree;
When the flowerets sweet
Die beneath our feet,
And feebly totters the dying year
Into the mists of eternity.
To me the autumn is never drear,
It bears the glory of hopes fulfilled.
Though the flowers be dead,
There are seeds instead,
That, with the spring of the dawning year,
With life will find all their being thrilled.
You tread the wood, and the wind behold
Tear down the leaves from the crackling bough
Till they make a pall,
As they thickly fall,
To hide dead flowers. The air seems cold,
No summer gladdens the forest now.
I tread the maze of the changing wood,
And though no light through the maples plays,
Yet they glow each one,
Like a rose-red sun,
And drop their leaves, like a glittering flood
Of warm sunbeams, in the woodland ways.
Poor human heart, in the year of life
All seasons are, and it rests with thee
To enjoy them all,
Or to drape a pall
O’er withered hopes, and to be at strife
With things that are, and no brightness see.
7. Triumphalis
by Bliss Carman
Soul, art thou sad again
With the old sadness?
Thou shalt be glad again
With a new gladness,
When April sun and rain
Mount to the teeming brain
With the earth madness.
When from the mould again,
Spurning disaster,
Spring shoots unfold again,
Follow thou faster
Out of the drear domain
Of dark, defeat, and pain,
Praising the Master.
Hope for thy guide again,
Ample and splendid;
Love at thy side again,
All doubting ended;
(Ah, by the dragon slain,
For nothing small or vain
Michael contended!)
Thou shalt take heart again,
No more despairing;
Play thy great part again,
Loving and caring.
Hark, how the gold refrain
Runs through the iron strain,
Splendidly daring!
Thou shalt grow strong again,
Confident, tender,—
Battle with wrong again,
Be truth’s defender,—
Of the immortal train,
Born to attempt, attain,
Never surrender!
8. Dancing in the Rain
by Juli Nielsen
You’ve had those feelings… you wish your life was done.
You’re broken, defeated, and overcome.
Each day more challenging than the last.
Moments of weakness…emotions consistently masked.
There is sadness built up, stirring within,
Reflecting on where your life has been.
You feel alone… all you feel is pain.
Each moment a struggle masked by crying in the rain.
The storms of life will thunder, shoot lightning ‘cross your face.
But get up, chin up, and win YOUR race.
You can take charge…refuse to feel defeat.
Just get up, walk out… first step’s to move your feet.
Get out of the trench that you’ve dug for yourself.
Change what you are to improve your mental health.
There’s no shame in admitting that life is harder than you can bear.
That’s what friends are for…to show comfort and to care.
Don’t take the world on all alone; the challenges are real.
Be willing to accept the help you need, friendship, and you’ll heal.
Days will get easier; life will cease to be a strain…
Before you know it, you’ll be DANCING in the rain.
9. If Only It Were Me
by Trinity A Chavez
The wind blows
The sun shines
The grass grows
The air smells of pines
If only it were mine –
The halls are loud
The building is cold
The people walk proud
The kids are bold
If only it were me –
The days are long
The week is hard
The answer was wrong
The kids put up their guard
If only it wasn’t me –
I want to be open
I want to be happy
I hate being broken
I hate acting sadly
The walls, they glare at me
The words jump off the pages
The stares get heavy
The building is a cage
Trapping me
Trapping us
Holding us here as if they’re scared we’ll leave
If only people could understand me
Then maybe, just maybe
The days wouldn’t be so lengthy
So hard
So scary
So difficult
Because that is me –
Something I don’t want to be
Deep Depression Poems
These deep poems about depression offer a glimpse into the inner world of someone struggling with depression and can help individuals feel less alone in their experiences.
1. When You Feel Like You Can’t Go on
by Aliysha
When you feel so lonely and can’t sleep at night,
because everything gives you a fright.
The pain and the sadness takes control,
and once again you’re all alone.
The pain I feel is torturing.
My life isn’t really worth living.
You keep living every day, hoping it might end someway.
You go to sleep and pray to God,
but it doesn’t work… you’re too stuck!
All the tears cooped up inside,
from all the lies that bleed you dry.
Just one tear shows a million emotions.
It’s all mixed and with terror and devotion!
I devote myself to acting happy,
but at night when I’m all alone,
somehow it all spills out
when no one can see and no one can hear
all of the pain and all of the fear.
You go to sleep hoping you won’t wake up,
but when morning comes you have to keep going.
It isn’t easy and you can’t say it is,
until you know just how it feels.
My soul is dying.
Why do I keep trying?
Nothing seems worth it anymore!
I just want to be alone…
This is from the heart of all my feelings and emotions,
something I can’t speak, but one day it’ll all be over.
And I will be that happy person I know I want to be.
But just acting happy is too hard for me!
2. Depression
by Patricia A Fleming
Depression is a monster
That destroys both heart and soul.
It tortures without mercy
And consumes its victim whole.
It cripples and disables,
Making life too hard to cope.
It can make each day a nightmare
And leave a person without hope.
Some people feel this sadness
From the time that they are young,
And believe that they are different
And can’t be loved by anyone.
It’s reinforced by parents
Too depressed themselves to care
For that child they’re supposed to love,
But instead forget is there.
Depression can be nurtured
Through violence and neglect
And fists used only to degrade
And words used to reject.
It’s hidden in those bullies
Who torture and demean,
Who use their words like weapons
To destroy all self-esteem.
It’s fueled by those substances,
That are used to help escape.
From that endless pain depression brings
And that unbearable heartache.
It can cause someone to just give up,
To lose all strength to fight.
It can annihilate one’s very soul
And make them take their life.
Yes, Depression is a vulture
That will make anyone its prey.
There is no one who deserves it,
And there is no one to blame.
We don’t need to make a judgment,
But we need to be aware
That those who suffer through this pain
Just need the world to care.
3. Melancholy
by Charles Swain
Under the cypress shade
Near the wild holly,
Where her last hope is laid,
Mourns Melancholy;
All voices weary now—
All pleasures tire her;
Love cannot charm her brow—
Music inspire her!
No, ‘neath the cypress shade,
By the wild holly,
Where her last hope is laid,
Mourns Melancholy.
Still in the stars she reads
Sorrow and parting;
Still on the future feeds—
Drinks the tears starting:
Come, list the music light—
See, fairies tripping!
Gay nymphs o’er garlands bright
Sporting and skipping!—
No, ‘neath the cypress shade
Near the wild holly,
Where her last hope is laid,
Mourns Melancholy.
4. Worth
by Joel
It’s hard sometimes to say exactly what I’m worth.
Sometimes even harder dealing with the hurt.
To feel like no one’s there during all my pain.
I have nothing left to lose and nothing left to gain.
I struggle through the days, with no one at my side,
To find some sort of worth, to save a little pride.
But all my days are dark, stormy, cold and gray,
And emptiness keeps growing as I slowly fade away.
I have no effort left to put into this life,
No helping hand behind me to pull me to the light.
So once again I ask, before I leave this Earth,
Tell me, if you care, exactly what I’m worth.
5. My Daughter’s Tears
by Annabel Sheila
Until it affects someone we love,
We don’t even know it’s there.
It’s really not our problem,
So why should we care.
The statistics are quite shocking,
One in four they say
Will suffer from depression
In their lives one day.
There’s not much stigma anymore
For this serious mental flaw.
But no one knows where it will strike,
It’s just the luck of the draw.
No one would choose to live with it,
And some don’t even try.
I see my daughter suffering
And all she can do is cry.
Most people turn the other cheek,
They’ve been doing it for years.
But I must face the pain I see,
In my daughter’s tears.
6. Do You Know
by Michelle Boyd
Do you know a life of loneliness and one filled with pain,
living a life with nothing to gain,
Surrounded by darkness, overwhelmed with shame.
A life without peace with no one to blame.
Do you know of a place unseen,
A place that holds only shattered dreams,
A place filled with sorrow with no end in sight,
I am given this gift each and every night.
Do you know of a place so cold,
This is the place I call my soul,
A place without hope or comforting dreams,
A life not worth living wouldn’t it seem.
Do you know of a life that should have never been,
And the feeling that today this life has to end.
One more day of sadness is much too hard to bear,
I am tired of living a life of heartache and despair.
Do you know a person with so much pain inside,
Or the feeling of loneliness when no one hears your cries,
Maybe when the tears are gone and I can clearly see,
The only question left will be…
Do you know me
7. The Ending Start
by Ethan Wulf
I’ve written everything I have to say,
But the words, they rot and fall away.
So with a hole in the bottom, I’m stuck in the same boat as before
And slowly sinking just in sight of shore.
I work so hard to make my life worse
Sometimes I think I’m better off in the back of a hearse,
But I know I could never leave her behind.
She’s the one I’ve been searching for all this time.
And though she confesses to me all of her love,
Selfishly I feel that it is not enough.
I know it in my heart, oh I swear,
There is someone so much better for her out there.
I dream about her all day long,
Yet when we’re together, it all feels wrong.
Something isn’t right, and I know it’s me
Because you’re a beautiful, perfect being.
I can never just be what and who I am.
So much discontent I don’t think anyone understands,
I put my feelings into words that rhyme
To give everyone who cares a glimpse of what’s inside.
Why must it be that I’m never satisfied.
I have all I could want; still I lie awake at night
And wish for more.
So much discontent.
It’s the end that I wish was near.
Just the letdown that I fear.
8. My Death
by Adam
A silent shadow
stalking me in the night.
The doors are open
but I cannot see the light.
The gray mist
into the abyss I fall.
And I do not know
what my life was at all.
I cannot see
the path before me
as his cloaked hands
bring me to one knee.
And what I see
is not heaven at all.
But a hell much more worse
than nothing at all.
Inspirational Depression Poems
These inspirational poems about depression provide a sense of motivation and positivity and can help individuals find the strength to overcome their depression and move forward.
1. Stronger Than You
by Sandra Hearth
There you are, sneaking upon me!
From the corner of my eye, you make no sound, but I can see!
I ignore you’re there, but you grow each day.
I fear if I acknowledge you, you will never go away.
I’ve seen the power you have over other people’s lives,
I have seen their struggles and them strive
To keep you in check, to keep you at bay.
I’ve seen them give in and allow you to stay.
The confusion, the havoc you have played,
I have seen the pain and the price they’ve paid.
Swallowing them whole without a thought,
Like the helpless fish in the net when caught.
They squirm and wriggle to break free.
Yes, I see you there, but you won’t take me.
I will not allow your darkness to consume,
I will not allow the cloud to linger and to loom.
I will fight you every day and every night,
Push away the dark, I will stay in the light.
I see you there waiting to pounce,
I will stand strong against your call, I will stand strong and denounce!
For all the sad, pain, and tears you feed upon,
Your call to me will forever be long.
As I have seen too many leave,
I know better, I believe…
In mind over matter, however dark the day,
Life is a better place when you’re told to go away!
So move on and take your darkness too.
I am now stronger, Depression; I’m stronger than you!
2. There Will Always Be Sunshine
by Anonymous
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain
There will always be sunshine after the rain
Perhaps you may stumble, perhaps even fall
But God’s always ready to answer your call
He knows every heartache, sees every tear
A word from His lips can calm every fear
Your sorrows may linger throughout the night
But suddenly vanish at dawn’s early light
The Savior is waiting somewhere above
To give you His grace and send you His love
Whatever your cross, whatever your pain
God always sends rainbows after the rain
3. Out of the Night
by Anonymous
Out of the night that covers me,
Black as the pit from pole to pole,
I thank whatever gods may be
For my unconquerable soul.
In the fell clutch of circumstance
I have not winced nor cried aloud.
Under the bludgeonings of chance
My head is bloody, but unbowed.
Beyond this place of wrath and tears
Looms but the Horror of the shade,
And yet the menace of the years
Finds and shall find me unafraid.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
4. From Oppression Comes Light
by Erik Whitehead
Depression is oppression.
It’s a deadly hidden message
Defined by self-hate.
It seals its prisoner’s fate.
It holds you captive and throws out the key.
It stabs and jabs just to see you bleed,
Inflicting wounds that scar for life.
Destruction is its mother and death its wife.
You can cry, but it will always ignore your screams.
It terrorizes your soul and haunts your dreams.
It sends you false hope through a bottle or pill.
It destroys your goals and inflicts its will.
You can’t run, nor can you hide.
By its rules you will abide
Until it celebrates that you have died.
Open your eyes, or you will be its prey.
It will blur your vision in the most twisted way.
It will seek your destruction and call for your head.
You will lie and wait but never rest in your bed.
Peace will come to those who want peace,
But as long as you feed him, you will see the beast.
You can’t run, nor can you hide,
But if you conquer the beast, you will survive.
Prayer and hope can lead the way.
Cling on to every word you pray.
Hope is in truth.
Hate is in lies.
Pray for your soul and open your eyes.
5. Who Could Ever Love Me?
by Miriam Narat
When I look at myself, I see nothing good.
I see all the flaws that no one else should.
I wear a mask
To hide the pain
That always resides on my face.
They tell me I’m beautiful,
But how would they know
The secrets I have yet to tell?
The guilt that eats me up inside
About the things I’ve done
Each and every night.
They don’t see the things that I hide
Behind the walls inside my mind.
They don’t see the flaws on my skin.
For if they did, they would think I’m a sin.
So, I tell myself, who will ever love me
When no one ever hears my pleas?
Who could understand my broken thoughts,
The hate in my gut that’s like a knot?
Maybe one day my thoughts will change,
But for now, they still seem to reign.
But I will keep fighting each night,
Because if I don’t, then how else can I find the light?
6. Feeling Blue
by Kt
I suppose it’s hard for some to understand.
This is not the way that I had planned.
I don’t know how I’ve let myself get this way,
And sometimes feel like calling it a day.
But then I think of those who are close to my heart.
Ending it all would probably tear them apart,
So while I’m thinking of my dread,
I’ll try and sort out this mess in my head.
Then if I find I still can’t cope,
There’s nothing more I can do than pray and hope
That everything will turn out right for me,
And someday I’ll be as happy as I can possibly be.
7. A Prayer by Me
by Mary Cathleen
No one knows what I feel today
Or that I’m dying inside.
No one knows the pain I’m in,
For it’s nothing a smile can’t hide.
If I could find the words to tell,
I’d get help in a second.
But there are no words to explain
My pain and my heart that it’s wreckin’.
So I beg thee, Lord God of all
Who sees the struggle I’m in,
To stay by me with your grace
And keep me from giving in.
I promise you that I’ll fight on
And that I will survive,
But every day I lose some hope
That’s been keeping me alive.
I need your help so earnestly, Lord,
And I need your love today.
But I also ask if it be your will,
Please take the pain away.
Short Depression Poems
Short poetries about depression are often concise yet impactful, using few words to convey the depth of depression. These poems can be a quick and easy way to find solace during tough times.
1. A Halo
by Kate Louise Wheeler
No mortal can unhappy be
Who lives for other’s good,
And takes an interest in the lives
Of happy brother-hood.
Depression that destroys the mind
Will thereby disappear,
And gloom will all be swept away
In radiant atmosphere.
2. Despair
by Georgia Douglas Johnson
The curtains of twilight are drawn in the west
And vespers are sweet on the air,
While I, through my leafless, ungarlanded way
But pause at the gates of despair.
Good-bye to the hopes that were never fulfilled,
Good-bye to the fond dreams that failed,
Good-bye to my dead that has never been born,
Good-bye to love’s ship that ne’er sailed.
3. Alone
I am alone, in spite of love,
In spite of all I take and give—
In spite of all your tenderness,
Sometimes I am not glad to live.
I am alone, as though I stood
On the highest peak of the tired gray world,
About me only swirling snow,
Above me, endless space unfurled;
With earth hidden and heaven hidden,
And only my own spirit’s pride
To keep me from the peace of those
Who are not lonely, having died.
4. When You Look at Me
by Mary
When you look at me,
What do you see?
I bet if you look deep enough
You would see right through me.
If you look deep in my eyes,
You would forget all my lies.
You would tell that I’m hurt.
All you have to do is be more alert.
Do you know what it’s like
To cry silently every night?
What y’all really see
Is not the real me.
I’m broken inside,
Even if you don’t see it,
So look at me again.
What do you see?
5. Fragment 3: Come, Come Thou Bleak December Wind
by Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Come, come thou bleak December wind,
And blow the dry leaves from the tree!
Flash, like a Love-thought, thro’ me, Death
And take a Life that wearies me.
6. Darkness
by Erin L. Kampen
No words for a state that I cannot express
Like gravity just holds me here in this mess
An invisible force stealing my air
A looming dark cloud and no one’s aware
The strength of a lion becomes a small mouse
The whole of my world consists of my house
Feigning my comfort, I internally cry
Rationalize the how and the why
7. Deep Inside
by Amanda
When I smile, deep inside I want to frown
When I laugh, deep inside I want to cry
When you look into my eyes
You think everything is all right
But deep inside
I want to die
Maybe one day
I won’t feel like this
Til then I’ll be happy on the outside
And crying on the inside
Long Depression Poems
These long poetries about depression may delve into personal experiences or societal issues related to mental health, providing a rich and thought-provoking perspective on the topic.
1. Describing Imaginary Things
by Katie R.
“I’m tired,” I say,
“That’s all.”
And in a way, I guess it’s true.
In every other way,
It’s a lie.
Tonight you ask me
What depression feels like.
I think, then tell you
That it’s sort of like
Slowly clicking up a roller coaster hill,
Waiting and waiting to peak,
But never reaching the top.
You seem confused
But don’t ask anything else.
Soon enough you’re gossiping about
How that girl we know got pregnant.
You don’t understand that
I am still climbing that godforsaken hill.
People call me heartless,
Robotic.
I wonder if they realize
How difficult it is to function
When you’re not sure if you even exist.
And here I am,
Dodging your politely, forcefully concerned gaze,
As you ask me what’s wrong.
“I’m tired,” I say,
“That’s all.”
I wish I could explain depression to you
Once again and scream about
How I wish I could feel anything.
Do you really want to know what depression is like?
Depression is like having a disinterested corpse
Skillfully stowed in the shell of my body.
“You seem so sad lately.
Can’t you at least pretend to care?”
Oh, honey, if you only knew.
You ramble on about this and that,
But I’m no longer listening.
You could dig for centuries
And never strike my dying core.
And THAT, my innocent, naive fool,
Is what depression feels like.
2. Depression Blues
by Tina M. Casalvera
My head is not right today.
I have no idea why it’s this way.
It switches from one thought to another.
I feel like I am being smothered.
I can’t finish just one thought.
In a group is where they are brought.
I’m under so much stress.
There are things I should confess.
Some people say I am so strong,
But in reality, they couldn’t be more wrong.
The outer part of me puts on that smile
While the inner me has been dying for a while.
I hate this part of my disease.
It literally brings me to my knees.
From a great mood to nasty as hell.
Which it’s gonna be, I can never tell.
Most of the days I can push through.
Today I don’t know what to do.
It comes with no known trigger.
It’s not going away; it’s only getting bigger.
Bigger, louder, and extremely strong.
I wish I knew what was wrong.
I want to cry, but I don’t know what for.
I hate this disease; I don’t want it anymore.
I get these terrible pains in my chest.
Feels like the Lord is gonna lay me to my final rest.
Will these feelings only last for today?
‘Cause it feels like they will never go away.
In reality it will not.
A life sentence is what I got.
The meds that make me manage
Are the same meds that cause me damage.
I could be flying high in the fluffiest cloud.
Then, bam, I crash onto the ground.
I wonder if people truely understand
What really goes on in my land.
How could they when even I don’t?
How could they when they simply won’t?
This not only takes a toll on me,
But it affects my friends and family,
Especially those days I cannot hide
The deep dark depression I feel inside.
Some days I’m just not strong enough.
Some days are just too tough.
But most of the days I seem to manage
To get through them without serious damage.
Well at least to others
Is what I mutter
Things aren’t usually this bad,
But you won’t know which I have had
‘Cause that is what we do.
We pretty it up for you.
I can’t keep that clear though in my head.
I’m done with this crap; I am going to bed
3. Discontent
by Jean Blewett
My soul spoke low to Discontent:
Long hast thou lodged with me,
Now, ere the strength of me is spent,
I would be quit of thee.
Thy presence means revolt, unrest,
Means labor, longing, pain;
Go, leave me, thou unwelcome guest,
Nor trouble me again.
I longed for peace—for peace I cried;
You would not let her in;
No room was there for aught beside
The turmoil and the din.
I longed for rest, prayed life might yield
Soft joy and dear delight;
You urged me to the battlefield,
And flung me in the fight.
We two part company to-day.
Now, ere my strength be spent,
I open wide my doors and say:
“Begone, thou Discontent!”
Then something strong and sweet and fair
Rose up and made reply:
Who gave you the desire to dare
And do the right? ‘Twas I.
The coward soul craves pleasant things,
Soft joys and dear delights—
I scourged you till you spread your wings
And soared to nobler heights.
You know me but imperfectly—
My surname is Divine;
God’s own right hand did prison me
Within this soul of thine,
Lest thou, forgetting work and strife,
By human longings prest,
Shouldst miss the grandest things of life,
Its battles and unrest.
4. The Bridge
by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
I stood on the bridge at midnight,
As the clocks were striking the hour,
And the moon rose o’er the city,
Behind the dark church tower.
I saw her bright reflection
In the waters under me,
Like a golden goblet falling
And sinking into the sea.
And far in the hazy distance
Of that lovely night in June,
The blaze of the flaming furnace
Gleamed redder than the moon.
Among the long, black rafters
The wavering shadows lay,
And the current that came from the ocean
Seemed to lift and bear them away;
As, sweeping and eddying through them,
Rose the belated tide,
And, streaming into the moonlight,
The seaweed floated wide.
And like those waters rushing
Among the wooden piers,
A flood of thoughts came o’er me
That filled my eyes with tears
How often, oh, how often,
In the days that had gone by,
I had stood on that bridge at midnight
And gazed on that wave and sky!
How often, oh, how often,
I had wished that the ebbing tide
Would bear me away on its bosom
O’er the ocean wild and wide.
For my heart was hot and restless,
And my life was full of care,
And the burden laid upon me
Seemed greater than I could bear.
But now it has fallen from me,
It is buried in the sea;
And only the sorrow of others
Throws its shadow over me.
Yet, whenever I cross the river
On its bridge with wooden piers,
Like the odor of brine from the ocean
Comes the thought of other years.
And I think how many thousands
Of care-encumbered men,
Each bearing his burden of sorrow,
Have crossed the bridge since then.
I see the long procession
Still passing to and fro,
The young heart hot and restless,
And the old, subdued and slow!
And forever and forever,
As long as the river flows,
As long as the heart has passions,
As long as life has woes;
The moon and its broken reflection
And its shadows shall appear
As the symbol of love in heaven,
And its wavering image here.
5. Sweet Agony
by Mania Jankowski
What do you see when you look in my eyes?
A freak? A nameless being?
Or maybe simply another face in the endless sea of people
What do I see when I look at myself in the mirror?
I see pain, laughter, tears, smiles, fatigue, and endless energy.
What do I do
When the world I live in
Doesn’t know I am suffering?
I feel the scars
On my heart
My arms
My wrists
And I think back to a time when I was truly alone
Wandering the streets at night
The sky dark and stormy,
With the cold rain falling down on me
It was like the sky was crying
All the tears I was too afraid to shed myself
That was a long time ago,
But I can still feel the sharpness of the blades upon my soul
My skin
My heart
Sometimes at night I sit up
Stare at my window
And cry, for all the pain I still sometimes feel.
I wonder if life is meant to be more than this,
This town
These people
These feelings
I am like a caged animal,
Trapped inside bars
Locked in, with no hope to escape
I scream
Yell
Cry
But no one hears me
I stand alone
On my own little path of life
That I have been on for as long as I can remember
With a broken heart
A broken soul
A broken mind
Still I struggle on
So that I can maybe see beyond this world
Of darkness and despair,
So I can see the world beyond,
Of love and life and happiness
So here I stand,
A smile on my face,
Even though I am being torn apart on the inside
I will continue to smile
And feel
And love
And I will survive; survive to tomorrow
So I can learn to trust again
And this sweet agony
That has been with me all my life
Will be dispersed
Become nonexistent
Gone
No more
And I will finally
Be
Alive
6. Melancholia
by Laurence Dunbar
Silently without my window,
Tapping gently at the pane,
Falls the rain.
Through the trees sighs the breeze
Like a soul in pain.
Here alone I sit and weep;
Thought hath banished sleep.
Wearily I sit and listen
To the water’s ceaseless drip.
To my lip
Fate turns up the bitter cup,
Forcing me to sip;
‘Tis a bitter, bitter drink,
Thus I sit and think, —
Thinking things unknown and awful,
Thoughts on wild, uncanny themes,
Waking dreams.
Spectres dark, corpses stark,
Show the gaping seams
Whence the cold and cruel knife
Stole away their life.
Bloodshot eyes all strained and staring,
Gazing ghastly into mine;
Blood like wine
On the brow — clotted now—
Shows death’s dreadful sign.
Lonely vigil still I keep;
Would that I might sleep!
Still, oh, still, my brain is whirling!
Still runs on my stream of thought;
I am caught
In the net fate hath set.
Mind and soul are brought
To destruction’s very brink;
Yet I can but think!
Eyes that look into the future, —
Peeping forth from out my mind,
They will find
Some new weight, soon or late,
On my soul to bind,
Crushing all its courage out,—
Heavier than doubt.
Dawn, the Eastern monarch’s daughter,
Rising from her dewy bed,
Lays her head
‘Gainst the clouds’ sombre shrouds
Now half fringed with red.
O’er the land she ‘gins to peep;
Come, O gentle Sleep!
Hark! the morning cock is crowing;
Dreams, like ghosts, must hie away;
‘Tis the day.
Rosy morn now is born;
Dark thoughts may not stay.
Day my brain from foes will keep;
Now, my soul, I sleep.
7. Finding Joy
by Trent D. Et
Have you seen Joy? I have not seen her in so, so long,
I miss her, oh how I miss her and her heartwarming song.
I keep searching and searching and asking why
she went away without saying goodbye.
Many years have gone by. but I envision her clearly.
I love her! “Joy, I love you so dearly.”
I have searched all over, I searched my soul.
If you don’t return, you’ll never know,
How I loved the time we spent with one another.
I showed you off to my mother, my brother.
You were there when I married my wife,
I thought you would be with me for the rest of my life.
Joy, can you imagine a clear dark night without any stars?
This time without you leaves unwanted scars.
I’m hurting inside and losing control.
I’m trying to hide it but it’s taking a toll.
I’m saddened to the point of anger
that you betrayed me. Do you feel my pain? Do you feel any shame?
I wish you could feel the loss I’ve been delt!
That’s when I realized that you have no feelings, but rather are a feeling to be felt!
Because I am losing hope that we will be reunited,
I have to make a choice but remain undecided.
Whether to succumb to this awful feeling of sadness,
or continue on faith, it seems like madness.
In the end I am not afraid, I’ll continue, I must!
Because I also love others, I’ve gained their trust.
And though you left for whatever reason,
the others I love with help bring you back this next season.
To have taken you for granted was my biggest mistake.
Please forgive me, forgive me please for heaven’s sake.
When you return to my arms, whenever this may be,
I’ll never let you go or get away from me.
As for those who took your place when you are gone,
they are not invited; they use me like a pawn.
Making me feel so worthless on this Earth,
I long for your return, to signify my rebirth.
Depression Poems That Rhyme
These poems about depression with rhyming words often use rhyme and meter to convey the feelings of depression in a structured and rhythmic way.
1. Glance
by Ashley Reyes
Glance, but don’t stare.
You’re not supposed to see the scars that I bear.
Don’t listen, just speak.
You do not want the answers that you seek.
You smile, I smile back.
Look at the mask, don’t notice the crack.
There’s a monster in there I’m trying to hide,
But she’s nibbling at the ropes in which she’s tied.
She roars at me, forcing tears out my eyes
Then smiles triumphantly, like she’s won a prize.
“Why are you crying?” “I’m fine,” I say.
It’s not like you would understand anyway.
Don’t talk about me, let’s talk about you!
Underneath your mask, is there a monster too?
Does it rip your heart out and wave it in your face?
Find sticks and thorns to put in its place?
No? I’m sorry. I guess we don’t relate.
I’ll shut up now and pretend all is great.
Glance, but don’t stare.
There’s a monster under the mask…enter if you dare
2. Scars
by Laura R
Here on my arm lies a mark that I made.
When I was so low, I cut with a blade
To punish my body for being a mess,
Though here is my testament, I must confess…
That seeing these scars left on my arms, legs, and chest
Makes me realize I was in a place of no rest;
I feel guilty inside for leaving this token.
Now I will see and remember that I was so broken.
But seeing these scars helps me see
That I survived so much trauma and now I am free.
So I ask you now to stand with me and fight,
To show all these demons what they’re doing is not right.
You won the battle of good versus bad.
You are still alive and are no longer sad.
Here on my arm lies a mark of survival.
I got through my hate and beat my self-rival.
3. Together
by Hannah L
So–this is where we are.
After coming so far,
This is what it’s come to.
After all we’ve been through,
We’re still where we started:
Bruised and broken-hearted.
You’d think after fighting this long
We’d become safe and strong.
But as we battle close to death,
We’re still lost and find no rest.
As we wander ’round, asking why,
There’s no tears when we cry.
We’re lost with only each other,
Feeling as a child without its mother.
As darkness nears closer and closer,
We fear our lives may be over.
But I caught, in the distance,
A shimmer of light, so persistent.
I grab your hand, holding tight,
As I try to lead you toward the light.
But now you’ve grown so heavy.
I fear you’re dead already.
I can’t leave you here all alone.
I have to take you back home.
So won’t you please come with me
And believe that I can see
The way out, the way home?
There’ll be no more wandering all alone.
So please, rise and stand.
Follow me and hold my hand,
Because together we can win.
We can find the light within.
4. XXI. the Pine and the Sea
by Christopher Pearse Cranch
Beyond the low marsh-meadows and the beach,
Seen through the hoary trunks of windy pines,
The long blue level of the ocean shines.
The distant surf, with hoarse, complaining speech,
Out from its sandy barrier seems to reach;
And while the sun behind the woods declines,
The moaning sea with sighing boughs combines,
And waves and pines make answer, each to each.
O melancholy soul, whom far and near,
In life, faith, hope, the same sad undertone
Pursues from thought to thought! thou needs must hear
An old refrain, too much, too long thine own:
‘T is thy mortality infects thine ear;
The mournful strain was in thyself alone.
5. Teardrops
by Shianne
The hurt in my eyes is all that has to be said
Sometimes I know I’m better off dead
The pain is the only thing I can feel
Knowing it’s the one thing that’s real
Behind all the games and lies
An emptiness haunts my eyes
A person who I used to be
Worse even though it wasn’t me
Sorrow consuming every thought
Slowly losing everything I’ve got
Darkness closing in all around
Still I don’t make a single sound
Evil fills the void inside
This life’s not one I’ll confide
However deeper someone tries to look
Whatever happens the ground has shook
The dread and hate leaves me in a daze
All around me demons’ fires blaze
Living isn’t worthwhile if it’s torture
Yet it’s that to which I’m not sure
Don’t try to understand the words written here
For I’m not the one to fear
6. Dead Inside
by Kerri L. Copeland
She may seem alive
But she’s dead inside.
How can one live
When the important things died?
You can’t just take it away
If you never even know
The dark things tearing out her soul
That she’ll never choose to show.
She’s dead and alive,
And it’s no way to live,
So the numbness envelopes.
She has nothing to give.
She’s pretending to be all that is real.
Pretending to hurt when she can’t even feel.
Pretending to look when she can’t even see.
Pretending to love when she can’t even be.
7. Behind This Face
by Lee W. Barker
Behind this calm face there is a raging storm,
Like a war in my head since the day I was born.
Behind this smile there is a lonely sad frown,
Acting oh so happy when really you are down.
Behind these blue eyes is a bright burning fire,
Flames flickering out of control, getting higher.
Behind this laugh when I’m laughing out loud,
There’s a tear like a rain drop from a dull cloud.
Behind these dry eyes is a waterfall of pain,
Trying to plug the leak, but the effort is in vain.
Behind this confident man is a shy little boy,
The youngster from school, so lonely and coy.
Between my ears is a fight inside my head,
Happy against sad or living battling dead.
Behind this big heart it is shattered like glass,
Still not healed from the bully in the class.
Behind the happiness lies sadness deep down,
Swimming against the tide trying not to drown.
Depression Poems for Children
Depression poems for kids offer age-appropriate language and imagery to help kids understand mental health. These poems can be a valuable tool for parents and teachers to initiate meaningful conversations with children.
1. From Life’s Lessons
by Anonymous
From life’s lessons
there is one thing I know
looked upon with loving light
even from a teardrop
a rainbow can grow
2. Depression
by Anonymous
Depression is a fight
Or a flight
Depression is a theif
That should be locked up
Depression steals…
Happiness
Motivation
Sleep
Your appetite
It steals your view on life
It steals how you view yourself
Sometimes it even steals your life
3. it’s Okay
by Anonymous
it’s okay, Paper Heart,
after enough holes are poked
after enough rips are torn
the light can finally get through
4. Nobody Can Save You but Yourself
by Anonymous
nobody can save you but
yourself.
you will be put again and again
into nearly impossible
situations.
they will attempt again and again
through subterfuge, guise and
force
to make you submit, quit and /or die quietly
inside…
5. Depression
by Anonymous
Neither sun nor the moon,
Light up even my noon.
Butterflies on the flowers,
Mere creatures in colours.
The past and the present,
And the future do I resent,
Even kites and the balls;
Even toys and the dolls.
The night and the day,
The same comes my way.
Curled up as crap,
On sleep’s lap.
My mind a waste land,
A desert, just parched sand.
No breeze nor a drop,
Does any angel drop.
Dark has become dark,
Death itself is dead,
For I cannot even die,
Can’t be bothered to try.
Friends and colours,
Books and movies,
Romance and flowers,
Alas! Not for me!
A tunnel deep and dark,
Just bare and stark,
Long do I inhabit,
Alone by habit.
No fireflies,
Nor passing breeze,
Not maidens coy,
Do bring me joy.
Oh my demons!
Out of your clutches,
Will you let me go?
Ever let me go?
6. Crawling Out of the Darkness
by Anonymous
A trip beyond the void
a place I find myself wanting to avoid, actually its inescapable as its within
and it’s wonderful as it is weird
but this place..
I can see..
shouldn’t be feared.
It’s quite bizarre,
the infinite abyss really isn’t that far
as the stars seem..
Maybe it’s all one dream
So don’t scream
if things seem
scary.
7. The Rain Drums Down Like Red Ants
by Anonymous
The rain drums down like red ants,
each bouncing off my window.
The ants are in great pain
and they cry out as they hit
as if their little legs were only
stitched on and their heads pasted.
And oh they bring to mind the grave,
so humble, so willing to be beat upon
with its awful lettering and
the body lying underneath
without an umbrella.
Depression is boring, I think
and I would do better to make
some soup and light up the cave.
Depression Poems That Make You Cry
These poems may be difficult to read, but they offer a powerful and emotional response to the experience of depression. Let’s read them to understand human sorrow better.
1. When the Emptiness Hits
by Anonymous
There is nowhere to run or hide.
It consumes me.
It breaks me and
leaves me broken.
2. Wake Up, Repeat
by Jamie L. Firestine
She looks in the mirror, and what does she see?
Something frail, broken, and unfree.
She sees the pain swollen in her eyes.
She sees the cuts she marked on her thighs.
She looks at herself with an empty stare
With her crooked smile and her messy hair.
Her mind is spoiled with terrible thoughts.
The anxiety she suffers puts her stomach in knots.
Her eyes are stained from countless tears.
Her thoughts corrupted with constant fears.
She grabs the bottle to numb her pain.
She feels as if she’ll never break the chain.
After she cries herself to sleep
And there’s no more tears left to weep,
She’ll wake up, put on that mask and smile.
She’ll walk like it’s nothing because that’s just her style.
People will walk past her and she’ll wave with pride,
But nobody knows she’s actually dying inside.
She’ll go home, and she’ll close her door.
The mask comes off as she lays on the floor.
Again she wipes her tears with her stained bed sheets.
She cries for the night, wakes up, repeat.
3. Waves
by Zorian Alexis
I was just sitting there,
Watching TV,
When a wave of sadness
Washed over me.
There was no warning;
It just showed up.
I tried to swim through it
But had no luck.
My heart was heavy,
And I started to cry.
I just couldn’t stop,
And I didn’t know why.
I finally gave up fighting
And went with the flow,
Praying the sadness
Would soon go.
I walked down the aisle
Of the grocery store
When another wave of sadness
Pulled me from the shore.
I couldn’t stay there,
Not one second more,
So I just left my cart
And headed to the door.
I sat in my car
And started to cry.
I just couldn’t stop,
And I didn’t know why.
What’s wrong with me?
I need to know.
My soul is drowning
With each ebb and flow.
I never know when
The next wave will arrive.
It makes me question
Why I’m still alive.
Is there someone out there
Who can help build me a boat?
So when the next wave comes
I can stay afloat.
Or will I eventually drown
And never awake,
Enveloped by the next wave
Of endless heartache?
4. My Soul Swimming in Mud
by Anonymous
rain pattering, fogging on the window,
musing on a gray day.
my soul swimming in mud, dropped
left to harden
when the sun shines. rocks have the souls
abandoned by tired
seekers and wanderers without
a place to hold to
themselves.
5. Harsh Words & Violent Blows
by Anonymous
Harsh words & violent blows
Hidden secrets nobody knows
Eyes are open, hands are fisted
Deep inside I’m warped & twisted
So many tricks & so many lies
Too many whens & too many whys
Nobody’s special, nobody’s gifted
I’m just me, warped & twisted
Sleeping awake & choking on a dream
Listening loudly to a silent scream
Call my mind, the number’s unlisted
Lost in someone so warped & twisted
On my knees, alive but dead
Look at the invisible blood I’ve bled
I’m not gone, my mind has drifted
Don’t expect much, I’m warped & twisted
Burnt out, wasted, empty, & hollow
Today’s just yesterday’s tomorrow
The sun died out, the ashes sifted
I’m still here, warped & twisted
6. Cries
by Emily Harstine
I feel the tears fall as I lay here and cry.
Nobody knows that all my happiness is a lie.
You see, I can’t really smile; I haven’t in a while.
It seems like my new style.
Inside I cry; everything I say is a lie.
I feel like I’m going to die, but I really don’t know why.
One minute I’m smiling and the next I’m frowning.
I honestly feel like I’m slowly drowning.
For I will shed more tears; I’ll feel this way for several years.
When I was younger this was one of my biggest fears.
Why didn’t anyone tell me life would turn out this way?
I’m crying at night and pretending to be happy by day.
I’m always really sad.
I just pretend that it’s not that bad.
Stop listening to my lies.
They just hide my cries.
7. As I cry
by Anonymous
As I cry in the dark and my tears find the pillow
you’ll never know, these tears filled with such sorrow
are those longing for love, again comes tomorrow
I wish for today, your heart I could borrow
8. Drowning in My Tears
by Anonymous
I’m choking
From the pity in their eye
I’m choking
From the sad undertone
I’m choking
From the overwhelming thoughts
I’m choking
Because on the inside I’m drowning in my tears
Sad Depression Poems
By tapping into the depths of emotion, these sad poems about depression can help individuals process their own feelings and find catharsis.
1. Taking It Day by Day
by Vincent Ramos
Each day I live, the pain consumes
What little sanity I have bloomed,
Like walking in a cloud of fog
Falling down, sinking into smog.
Life just seems grim.
I think on a whim.
Interest lost in everything I do,
But what a life, who really knew?
Depressed to a fault, that’s all I see.
Death just seems like the only way for me.
A waste of time I feel I am,
But that’s its nature, a full mind-jam.
I try and try to ease the pain,
A fallen effort with no gain.
Thoughts begin to eat away,
Makes me want to end it today.
Uncomfortable around others for the way I feel.
I pray and wish this all wasn’t real.
Life just seems more like a prison,
Caged, alone, an abomination risen.
No one could ever understand
Why I would want my death sooner than planned.
It’s not something I want for me,
But to end my suffering this is what has to be.
So I write this all as I fall from grace.
Down to this place, some barren waste.
I know not how much longer I will last,
But all I can do is pray that this will just pass.
2. Lost in Pain
by Steff
Anger. Pain.
It’s getting harder to hide
All the feelings I’ve built up inside.
It’s hard to explain
Without being considered insane,
So I’ve kept to myself
Until I realized I need help.
Even the weekends seem to be a chore.
Putting a smile on my face as I walk out the door.
Wanting to run away,
But where can I go?
Around people or not, I still feel alone.
I cry all the time now.
I used to think I was strong.
Now it’s a struggle just to hold on.
To make it through the day
Without an odd look my way
Or someone asking me if I’m okay.
But maybe it will do me good
To let someone help if they could.
Just one hug is all I need.
Just one person that cares is all I plead.
And then I might get through another day
Of waiting for my anger and pain to fade away.
3. Hollow
by Fathimath L. Ahmed
Emotions.
Do you feel them?
She was numb and frozen,
Yet it dimly sparkled like a dying gem.
Broken.
Do you know what that feels like?
Piercing explosions,
Burning afflictions,
Hollers of agonizing cries.
She had nothing left inside.
Eyes closed,
Heartbeat stopped,
Barely alive.
She was a hollow shell.
Into an endless oblivion she fell,
Pitch black and nearly brain dead.
There was nothing in her life ahead.
Passion.
Why is it so strong?
She was deprived from it.
Devils had done her heart way too many wrongs.
Killed was the lust,
Lost was the temptation.
Love.
Why is it so painful?
Once crystal clear and beautiful,
Now a turned poison from what was as pure as golden dust.
She wanted nothing to do with it.
Not long ago it had made her bleed.
Hidden thorns
On her skin that burned.
She was a hollow shell.
Into an endless oblivion she fell.
Pitch black and nearly brain dead.
There was nothing in her life ahead.
Eyes opened,
Tears flowed,
Standing in front of a mirror,
Watching as she wholly became hollow.
4. Inside Out
by Angie M Flores
Outside lives a girl with a smile that will brighten up the room,
yet inside hides a girl with a frown full of despair.
Outside lives a girl with eyes of joy that bring you to ease,
yet inside hides a girl shedding tears of sadness.
Outside lives a girl with a beautiful laugh that’s contagious,
yet inside hides a girl screaming her lungs out in unwanted anger.
Outside lives a girl with the personality everyone envies,
yet inside hides a girl full of insecurities and shame.
Outside lives a girl who is fearless and tough,
yet inside hides a weak girl who lives in fear.
Outside lives a girl full of life,
yet inside hides a girl full of pain, wanting to die.
Outside lives a girl with a perfect image,
yet inside hides a girl with regrets and mistakes.
Outside lives a girl of innocence,
yet inside hides a girl with tremendous guilt.
Outside lives a girl with goals and aspirations,
yet inside lives a girl lost in confusion.
What you see on the outside is my personal disguise.
What hides underneath, you can’t even begin to imagine.
5. Life as I See It
by Linda Morrow
Life is a bitter sweet pill
I am forced to take against my will
Everyone trying to pull me
Back into so called reality
Why, I ask, what does it hold?
Don’t they see I have nothing, I am so cold
My veins have no heat pumping through
My depression makes everything a shaded hue
In my heart I have no laughter, joy, or love
I have prayed, but there are no answers from above
My reality is not like other people’s seem to be
Silent screaming inside of me, constant feelings of misery
Just want to withdraw into my own little safe haven
Just to be left alone and have people realize I am not worth saving
So please don’t save me
I don’t want to come back to your reality
6. The Demons and Me
by Levari
I got this feeling deep inside,
Not sadness or hatred, not even pride,
A blank spot on a map,
Where something used to be,
Every time I think about it,
My head begins to hurt.
My eyes fill with tears;
These are the silent screams that nobody hears,
Clutching my pillow tightly,
I let it all out again.
There’s no use trying to flee,
It’s just the demons and me.
They come late at night,
Flooding my mind,
Shredding my soul,
And I wonder will I ever be whole?
Like a song left on loop,
I relive the same moment,
Each and every night,
It’s not fair; it’s just not right,
Blessed with 23 years of life,
The last 15 have all revolved around one day,
That will never let me be,
But that’s just the demons and me.
7. Death
by Evan
Time stops
And stands still
Each day
Seems like a year
I’m lost
And can’t be found
In this darkness
I lay dying
Cold
Empty
And alone
It holds me down
And won’t let go
There is no escaping
it consumes me
until there’s nothing left
I may look fine
But on the inside I’m full of death
Depression Poems about Anxiety
By shedding light on the connection between depression and anxiety, these poems about depression and anxiety can help individuals gain a greater understanding of their own mental health.
1. I Have No Strength to Get Up
by Anonymous
I’ve been pushed down so many times
I feel this time will be the last
as I lay here fading
my thoughts are invaded by memories of my past
I feel the pressures of shame and rejection building
as I lay here on the floor
I have no strength to get up
I’m not worth it anymore
2. The Countdown
by Emma H
“Count to 10,” they said,
“Deep breaths and it will pass,
because the feelings that consume you won’t stay, and they won’t last,”
but with each and every land mine that goes off within my head,
it doesn’t quite feel long enough with only 9 seconds left.
With 8, I’m running out of breath.
I’m drowning in my thoughts
but forget it and think happy things,
’cause life is far too short.
By 7, I’ve already lost myself.
There’s nothing in my eyes,
and at 6, I’ve lost the mask I wear
for my daily disguise.
5 cuts me open,
and 4 sews me back up.
By 3, the war is over,
but the scars it left are stuck.
By 2, the peace arrives,
but the drowning kind from hell,
the idea that the wound won’t heal,
even if i rebel,
’cause pain isn’t forgiving,
and at 1, it doesn’t leave.
Instead, it just goes silent,
and for another few days I’ll grieve.
Now before 10 had even started,
I’d already lost a piece of me,
but of course you didn’t notice,
’cause in your own mind
you are free.
3. Sometimes
by Lucy Petersen
Sometimes I can’t find the words
That fill my messy head.
Can’t find the effort to smile
Or get out of my silly old bed.
The world just sometimes feels like
I don’t fit and don’t belong,
And even when I make the effort,
A smile just doesn’t last long.
I could pretend with all my might
That I am the happiest I can be.
Surrounded by the world, it seems
Lonelier I couldn’t be.
Not sure what may be the answer.
Not sure if I’m really keen
To spend another day here,
Living this dreadful dream.
But I must find some courage,
Light a fire inside my heart
And find a love for life again,
And I know where I shall start.
I’ll walk among the forest
And feel the crisp sea breeze
And lay among the meadow
And listen to all the bees.
I’ll figure out the mayhem
And gaze at all the stars
And dance at every sunset
With a smile inside my heart.
4. Show Me the Way
by Anonymous
‘Just get over it, ‘ they say
I wish I could find a way
Living with it day by day
Memories won’t go away
Medication helps to sway
Many feelings of dismay
But they do fail to decay
The loss that one does survey
Let the Lord of All
Show me The Way
5. Tidal Wave
by Brian L. Barrett
In our darkest nights and our brightest days,
emotions fill us like tidal waves.
They can drag us down and pull us in,
trying to drown us from within.
They can raise us up or let us down,
but if you don’t know how to swim, you’ll simply drown.
There are storms across my seven seas,
lightning strikes, sharks circling me.
My legs are tired, my chest is tight.
I’m not sure how much longer I can fight.
I gasp for air, I scream and shout,
But these tidal waves try to drown me out.
6. Depression Is a Shadow Living Inside Me
by Anonymous
yesterday
when I woke up
the sun fell to the ground and rolled away
flowers beheaded themselves
all that’s left alive here is me
and I barely feel like living
depression is a shadow living inside me
7. Turn the Volume Down
by Anonymous
Turn the volume down
Turn the lights off
Stop singing, I’m tired
Stop talking for a bit, won’t you?
Let me think
I need to rest my mind
for a little while
maybe longer.
Dark Depression Poems
Dark poems about depression delve into the depths of despair and the darkness that often accompanies depression. They may be difficult to read, but they offer a powerful reflection on intense emotions.
1. Depression Is Never Ending
by Sarah Boston
Depression is here every day,
And it never goes away.
Go away! I yell into the dark,
As if someone is there.
I feel as if I’m a prisoner
In the dungeon’s lair.
And as always, no one cares.
Do I dare?
Dare to care about anyone but me?
Could it be,
Someone there?
Someone there to care?
No, just an image.
That’s the way it will always be,
No matter how hard I try.
I just want to get by.
I go through life day by day.
I thought pain was supposed
To go away with time,
But it’s not.
It’s still here,
Here with the fear,
Fear that I will get hurt more.
2. Struggling with Depression and Suicide
by Debbie Leads
Days of endless struggle.
More hopeful pills today,
Trying to appear “normal”
In some sort of way.
It seems that the struggle
Is always here with me,
And I wouldn’t be here now
If guilt would leave me be.
I know there’s been many
Who’ve had it worse than I,
But that doesn’t always mean
That I wouldn’t say good-bye.
People say I have a lot going for me.
I’m sorry, but I just can’t see.
I can’t see because my worst enemy
Is not my life but inside of me.
Always on a roller coaster,
Not much consistency.
I’m nothing if I’m not up or down.
I’m nothing if just “me.”
Very little energy,
Wanting to stay in bed,
Wishing to be enthusiastic
Instead of feeling like I’m made of lead.
Wanting to be excited,
Wanting to care for more,
But when nothing makes sense,
It’s hard to focus on the poor.
Cluttered mind, cluttered thinking.
It’s hard to keep in touch
With what is happening around me
And not to worry too much.
I feel that everybody is better than me
And that I can’t do anything right.
This is how I’ve felt my whole dang life;
It didn’t just start last night.
No confidence, no self-esteem.
Everybody else is right.
To speak my mind is to be a fool,
So I just try to “sit tight.”
Any one of these problems
Would be a heavy vice,
But when you have them ALL
Living seems like a roll of the dice.
3. Traffic Light
by Linda Grantham
This traffic light inside my head
Is always green and never red.
My thoughts, my dreams, and all my fears,
They all speed past my listening ears.
I close my eyes to block it out,
But inside my head they rush about.
I take a breath to slow it down,
But upon my face appears a frown.
My heart beats fast,
But my breathing slows.
I breathe in life
Then out it goes.
My body’s numb,
Yet I feel my tears.
I’ve lost count of the days,
The months, and the years.
This traffic light
Inside my head…
I’m scared of the day
When it turns red.
4. The Daily Battle
by Max S.
It is the darkest, deepest place one can travel to alone,
A solo journey filled with struggles and groans.
Every day is a new battle against the same foe,
But the enemy fights back with psychological blows.
It creeps up on you in your most vulnerable state,
Especially when there’s no one around who can relate.
Thoughts in your mind begin to swirl and swell,
Which drag you into your own subconscious hell.
Figments and entities from your past
Serve as the pain, which you can’t outlast.
Finally sleep always comes as a welcomed friend,
But it the morning the ceaseless battle begins yet again.
5. The Feeling of Emptiness
by Janieta Lister
I look into a broken mirror,
I seek to see why I am still living.
when I look around all I can see
is darkness and pain…
My chest is tight, I can hardly breath.
I feel empty and broken,
I feel like a monster is trying to escape.
I don’t know which way to go…
I am crying but only dry tears,
dust on my face and sores on my mind,
I do not speak nor do I try,
I have a million times.
When I speak, silence over takes.
I can scream, and still no one will hear.
I am invisible, no one can see,
I have pain inside, please let me free.
Before I save myself,
and death is my way,
not long from today,
I am seeking my way…
6. The Darkness
by Dallas E. Krystof
You would never know it,
The constant pain I feel,
Because in the light of day
It almost isn’t real.
Sure, I’ll play, I’ll laugh,
I’ll sing some songs,
But that pain is always lurking
Because it’s been here all along.
And when the darkness comes
With its all-consuming power,
It slowly takes my soul
Hour by dreadful hour.
But they tell me that I’m strong enough.
They swear that it gets better.
They say, “If you can just hold out
and bear this stormy weather.”
They tell me, “You will be happy one day.
All you need do is fight.”
But what they seem to forget
Is after each day comes the night.
And so I act along.
I play my part
While this crushing darkness
Slowly breaks my heart.
7. The Darkness
by BGW
I had sight, but the darkness offers me no light.
I had visions, but the darkness suppresses them.
I had self-belief, but the darkness overshadows my confidence.
I had freedom, but the darkness shackles me.
I had empathy, but the darkness makes my thoughts so very cold.
I had compassion, but the darkness brings me only indifference.
I had knowledge, but the darkness offers me only ignorance.
I had wisdom, but the darkness clouds my mind.
I had well-being, but the darkness offers me only pain.
I had strength, but the darkness weakens me.
I had laughter, but the darkness made me shed only tears.
I had joy, but the darkness offers me only anguish.
I had feelings, but the darkness brings me only numbness.
I had passion, but the darkness gave me only repulsion.
I had love, but the darkness fills me with loathing.
I had hope, but the darkness brings me only despair.
I have only the darkness and the darkness has me.
Final Thoughts
Depression poems can be a powerful tool for individuals struggling with mental health challenges.
Whether you’re seeking inspiration, comfort, or simply an outlet for your emotions, there are a variety of poems that can speak to your experience.
From the famous works of literary icons to short, simple verses that capture the essence of depression, these poems offer a unique perspective on the complexities of mental health.
It’s important to remember that seeking help from mental health professionals is also essential in overcoming depression, but poetry can be a valuable addition to one’s coping mechanisms.
Hopefully, this collection of poems for depression has provided comfort and solace to those who need it most.
