Den of Dark Shadows
The Poetry of a Manic Depressive
by
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Pass/ When I look into the mirror And I stare at my reflection, I open my arms and see myself Yearning to be held and to find affection. When I gaze out the window And stare at the pouring rain, Every drop that falls to the ground Resembles tears and my constant pain. When the wind blows And I feel the breeze caress my skin, I hope the wind will carry away All the sorrow my soul is in. Sometimes I stare at mountaintops And wonder if there is treasure to find. But as I stand on the ground below, I find it difficult to start the climb. Sometimes I stare out to the sea And I hunger for fish to cook. But I stand along the shore feeling helpless Because I have nothing to bait my hook. At night when I am cold I try to light a warm fire. But my tears extinguish the flames Because my heart is without desire. So I huddle up against an old oak tree And try to warm myself in the tall grass. And I pray that all my troubles and fears Will one day come to pass. December 8, 2008, 3:27 PM
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About the Book
Lonely, depressed, confused, and spending hours a day contemplating suicide in my little eight-by-eight den. At the age of forty-two, this is what my life has become. At the age of thirty, I had a nervous breakdown and overdosed on several bottles of medication. The next day my wife found me unconscious on the floor, and I was rushed to the emergency room, after which I spent several days in the hospital. Then I was taken to a mental institution. During my month-long stay there, I was diagnosed with a bipolar disorder. The rest, they say, is history; but in my case, the rest is misery.
About the Author
David Anthony Daniels is a retired NYC Correction Officer and has been writng poetry ever since he was a young boy. At the age of 30 he suffered a mental breakdown and five years later had no choice but to retire from the Dept. because of his illness. "Writing poetry is very therapeutic for me," says Daniels. "It is the only thing that keeps me sane. I spend a lot of time in my den writng about my depression, my anger and even my happiness. It really helps me to write my feelings down and one day I hope to write a novel about my experiences working as a NYC Correction Officer while suffering with a mental illness." Daniels currently lives in Long Island with his wife and two children but unfortunately he is in the process of getting a divorce. " I don't know what the future will hold for me or where I will go. But this I do know , I will continue to write because writing gives me the strength and the courage to continue on no matter how difficult the road I travel becomes."