the monster

The Monster under the bed doesn’t scare me

the skeleton in the closet gives me no fear.

Neither do the boogeyman or ghosts, 

make me quiver in my boots.

It is not the paranormal or slasher flick

that disturbs my nightmares.

what makes my skin crawl,

 my heart vibrate

my lungs shiver

is the unseen terror,

the monster in the mind.

The neurons that misfire,

thoughts that travel down

into shadowy abandoned paths.

Tendrils of negativity seep into my subconscious,

like a phantom of my imagination

waiting to attack. 

The monster in the mind,

it is not burned by sunlight,

it does not shy away at the smell of garlic,

cannot be melted by a bucket of water,

even a silver bullet cannot drag down the monster in my mind.

It is relentless and unforgiving

undefeatable, indestructible.

Almost.

The only way to defeat the monster in the mind

is to wrestle your thoughts out of its clutches

one by one if you must. 

Takes its vicious tendencies, and turn it on itself,

aim the cannons at each other.

Rip out the hatred,

Replace it with love.

Burn away the negativity

let it simmer until not a single ember

is left among the ashes

of the once great monster.

When the monster is burned away,

once it ceases to be the headmaster of your thoughts,

and you become the pilot,

Do not let your guard down.

The battle continues every everyday,

As the monster tries to rise again.

The newly free space will pose a challenge,

what we previously flooded with self hatred and rage

cannot be left empty.

Send a surge of positivity

a rush of blinding light,

 to shut out the darkness.

Soon the monsters Rumble will quiet,

but it will never be silent.

You will be stronger

You will be the new leader,

 and the monster will obey.

Peace will win

Fear will lose

And the monster under the bed,

nor the monster in your head,

will have control of you

Anymore.

Author's Note

Based off my own personal struggle with mental illness