World Mental Health Day 2023

World Mental Health Day is an important event that highlights the importance of mental health and encourages people to seek help when they need it. As part of our commitment to this cause, Poem Stellium held a poetry competition to raise awareness and celebrate the power of creativity in coping with mental health issues. We received many powerful and inspiring poems, and we are honoured to have had the participation of mental health advocates, doctors, and individuals battling different mental health illnesses.

Through this competition, we aim to create awareness and fight stigmatization, advocating for better care and support for those battling mental health illnesses.

We are proud to share the work of the winners, they have shown us that words have the power to heal and inspire, and we hope their work will touch your heart as it did ours.

Please be warned as the following may be triggering.

Shut the World Out

Written by Dee Cooper

Shut the world out, I have nothing to say

I’m tired of explaining how I feel today

Do I look at you with a vacant stare

Look into my eyes there’s nobody there

Exchange pleasantries on the weather today

No thank you it’s another dark day

Lost in a mind that wanders around searching for traces that I may be found

Doctors look, family, and friends too, they shrug as they say what can we do

Listen to me, understand how I feel

I have no words today, but maybe tomorrow I will

Today I need to sit here and reflect on days gone by

I have no wish to chat or not even try

It’s not that I’m not thankful for those who do ask

but the chipping away won’t loosen this mask!

I’m holding it in because I can’t face the pain

of losing you all over again

When people say are you alright

It takes me back to that day and that night!

Then there are others that think grief has a date

That makes my blood boil, that attitude I hate!

No one knows the love carried in one’s heart

No one can measure on graphs or on charts!

Don’t tell me months or years have gone by

I should pull myself together, wipe my eyes and not cry

Don’t sit there and judge me cause you think that you’re stronger

Maybe the love in my heart hurts deeper and longer

Shut the world out I have nothing to say

I’m tired of explaining how I feel today

Hidden Defect

Written by Charly White

I still function

And so, I keep going

Although I fear

That something is broken

A hidden part

I cannot reach

A worn-out voice

So, I cannot speak

But I still function

And so, I keep going

In hopes that someone

Will see I am broken

Green Fingers

Written by Issy Broadbent

I stopped watering the plant by my bed because it grew arms of its own

Its hands bent down and cupped the clear elixir from bottle

and sipped itself to death

When I noticed it’s bereavement I wept the pillows into a pool

I didn’t shower for a week, but the tears kept me cool

I swam around in my own salt wounds

Healing each graze with each stroke

I swim each lap faster and faster

As I sense the crocodile on my toes with each tear that dries

Breathing every 5 with an alternating side

Kicking off the tiles with my breath ringing through my head

Deep down I go till my ears fall into my gut and my lungs begins to explode

But I soon reach the bottom of my tear-soaked bed

In the dampness I lay new seeds

Push them deep in between the sheets

And hope that if I sing them to sleep, I can plant them into trees

When the seedlings spurt, I will water them with the ocean

And hope that they will grow arms of their own too

But my eyes have stayed dry for months now

Tears only come one at a time

I wonder if I will ever swim again

Watering my plants with rain

I hope I can keep these trees alive

So, I’ll feed them all of me

I will pour out my soul from my sleeve

If my eyes are still parched, I will let them drink directly from the sockets

The blood from my green fingers will soak into the soil

And soon my bed of tears will grow into a forest

Reality

Written by Tara Lennon

I should have seen it coming

But it happened all at once

I didn’t know to turn the page

It crept up on me after lunch

I’m not sure trauma can be healed

You learn to live with it instead

On the silver platter of life

You manage it

Like a severed head

Now a limb that’s severed

Can’t grow back

If lucky, you live and thrive

Change is part of the eternal

Ebb and Flow

Reality: The Great Divide

Emptiness and form they say

Is what we have to dance

I’m here

You’re there

It’s time you say

You know it’s not a trance

It’s not what you dream

It’s what you are

It’s not what you think

It’s who you are

See it!

It will happen

Think it!

You can achieve it

Catchphrases and slogans

They drive me round the twist

Dreams turn to ashes

More often than not

It’s enough to make you spit

Why can’t life be different?

You say

Why can’t it indeed

Who knows the secret of this great life

Not me, not me

That’s the truth however

And it’s time to not be blue

Reality is me

Reality is you

Dream, do

See yourself as free

Wild

Written by Stascia Anna

If I were left wild

My feet would be always bare

I’d never run a straightener or iron through my hair

I’d soak up the warmth from sunrise to set

And never a happier soul you’d have met

I’d climb every hill, every mountain and tree

I’d swim in every lake and in every single sea

The wildflowers would grow from my roots

From my veins

The sound of my mind dancing, you never could tame

I’d make art and sing loudly

Not caring how I sound

I’d collect all the seashells and trinkets I found

I’d read in the shade, I’d learn to skip stones

Fresh fruit would grow from the marrow of my bones

In a world of taxes and bus lanes and bars

I’d be outside, gazing at stars

I’d not care for barcodes or Wi-Fi or TV

It would just be the sun, the soil and me

I’d howl with the wind and run around in the rain

And when it all stopped, I’d soak up sun once again

I’ve always known that as children, we’re happy and kind

A connection with nature is not something we find

It’s something we’re born with

As we grow up, we get lost

We work hard to make money, but what is the cost?

If we’re lucky, devoted and put in enough hours

We can save up, get away, have time that’s ours

And what do we do if we can get away?

We find a place somewhere in nature, for a few days we stay

Then we don’t wanna go back, don’t want to suit up and shake hands

We feel like its stressful, we don’t understand

We are children of mother nature herself If we were left wild

We’d find happiness, find kindness and health

We’d connect with the earth, and we would feel whole

If we were left wild

We’d reconnect with our soul

Decompression

Written by Sasha Silberman-Hanks

There are lies in my head that tell me that the people in my life don’t actually love me

They don’t want me to be free

They don’t want the best for me

They don’t want me to succeed

Feel happy or just be

Even if they tell me

It all feels cunny

Even if they show me

It’s not satisfactory

Paranoia runs deep

Lessons learnt from past creeps

Even if people show dedication, support, loyalty and kindness

It feels inauthentic, ignorant, insincere, complete silence

The feelings I project onto others are the feelings I have towards myself

I lack self-esteem, feel underserving and unworthy of good health

I self-punish, self-sabotage to not feel this void

I accept the nothingness which reduces my cortisol

Belittle my voice so that others don’t absorb my helplessness

Knowing these feeling will pass I refuse to feel hopeless yet

This is not my reality

I deserve peace of mind

I am enough and always deserving of love

One day I will believe

And set myself free

From this lifelong disease

Here’s my survival story

Written by Anita Nwokoji

I am close to the walls of darkness

Obsolete to the word happiness

I struggle to live and be alive

I struggle to love and believe

This truth is fading

My heart is aching

Brainwashed by my own thoughts

I see gloomy cloud and dark sky

The painful rays of yesterday’s trauma

I see risky path but follow the drama

Moments devoid by my dilemma

This is karma, a sigma

This a seed of my sadness

The roots of delusional lies

The stem that leads to illusions

The branches of myths that I will never recover

This is no fairytale but an unfair play

This is me in darkness

But here is light

Bright than this plight

Might be my last flight for survival

But here’s my survivor story

A nightmare for daydream of insomnia

to be awake than fall asleep in the grave

To take the pain than pills to suicide

To hang on my neck robe self-love than a rope of shame

To not boo my body with judgement but book of self-affirmation

To care and not cut my skin

But here’s my survivor story

Crowded

Written by Norman Dearlove-Scott

Crowded by inner demons

Hounded by inner voices

Louder and louder

Until I can’t hear anymore

My legs feel weak

As I fall to the floor

Haunted by the silent cries

Deeper and deeper inside

Trying to find the way out

Looking for the door

Searching for an exit light

I beg of you, I implore

Isolated, desolate and alone

In the far distance I hear a groan

A little cry for help

I dash over to see some more

I walk into an empty room

The groaning is no more

As I stand in frozen terror

I look around and see a mirror

The reflection is blurry and fuzzy

Fractured with cracks and chips

I struggle to make out the figure

And then suddenly it hits

I open my eyes and look around

I find myself laying on the ground

Flashing blue lights and persons dressed in green

Soothing my soul and making me feel seen

Getting back up on my feet from the cold ground

I’m surround by warmth from strangers in the crowd

Depression

Written by  Katarzyna Stomska

Draining thoughts

Entangling my mind

Productive energy swept away

Radically unmotivated

Embarrassed to ask for help – I AM TOLD TO

Suck it up, grow up

Silence

Incredibly

Overpowering

Nudging me to disconnect, disassociate from the world

Mental Health (A Never-Ending Battle)

Written by Dr. Khushboo Gupta

In search of serenity and peace

In order to collect my broken piece

Being advocate of my vulnerability

I stumbled a lot for my stability

No one knows what I’m hiding

Deep in heart thought that residing

But act like a normal is kind of fun

Don’t blame me, I’m depressed and numb

Hard time reveals true colours and face

When my “elder Brother went missing”

Yes! My best friends reinforced me

With full strength, faith and grace

I am so proud and spellbound by their

Act of kindness and compassion

They healed and mitigate my agony

Constantly bear me and my depression

Depression and anxiety, a never-ending war

Accept and love yourself for “who you are”

This is just a phase to make you strong as ever

Bear those sufferings, please do yourself a favour

Why so ashamed of your fear and scars?

Let’s break the stigma, keep shining like stars

Darkness is necessary to embrace the glint

You are enough, just keep manifest within

In need of an hour, be honest with yourself

Consult a therapist, stop being hard on yourself

As “self-care” is always vital and beneficial

Like the body, nourishing our mind is important & crucial

I know it’s hard to breathe sometimes

Talk to your near or dear ones at that time

“Antidepressants” always there to get along

Make visit or SOS call to the physician

If anything goes worse or wrong

“You are not alone” in this endless journey

Time is the only cure, don’t be in a hurry

Keep calm! Have patience that’s all I can assure

We’re definitely going to win, my promise for sure

Till then don’t lose hope, keep fighting like a warrior

Embrace hope and positivity without any kind of barrier

“Mental health is a Health” let’s spread out this message

Yes! It’s a time to reveal the testament of your courage

I have written this poetry to rescue you all

“You are precious” in this never-ending war

As ‘Diamond’ needs a pressure to lavish and shine

The journey isn’t easy between “me and my mind”

Courage

Written by Claire Louise Robinson

Courage is dealing with heavy emotions everyday

Courage is faking a smile, keeping the grey clouds at bay

Courage is retreating away, if you need to

Courage is allowing yourself to feel blue

Courage is using your voice to speak out

Courage is coping with anxiety and doubt

Courage is finding the words to share

Courage is taking the time for self-care

Courage is love and feeling the feels in yourself

Courage is coping everyday with your mental health

A Day Not Like the Last

Francesca Massa

Today It was a cloudy day

A day of turbulence some might say

A day where I no longer cannot stay

I ran I cried and, in my mists, I was horrified for this was not a day like the last

Today it rained much like before

A deep saddening notion a cloud had cast

A chastening gloom much like in the past

A reign of sink, here and gloom

For this was not a day like the last

Today I scurried, I swam, I lost

The weight of dread came crippling in

Much like a wave, a sage of ruins, a giant calamity of groom

For this was a day not like the last

Today i fought an unbearable war

A vicious onslaught of might

I now had come to the reality of my unsurpassed

For this was a day much like my last

Today I stand beside the admirable light

It seems those are resplendent 

It’s victory, I said!

Everything isn’t all as it seems he responded

For this is a day that it nothing like the last

Learning to Love Yourself

Written by Aurora Maia Grace

I long to love my whole body

Every curve and every dot

I long to love her scars

And every single beauty spot

I’ve learned to love her better

It’s easier than I believed

Because I learned to love my lungs

For allowing me to breathe

I learned to close my eyes

To think of all that makes me, me

And I love all the little things

That they’re allowing me to see

I learned to love my organs

For constantly being a team

And I’ve learned to love my brain

For giving me so many dreams

I learned to love my blood

And its instinct to protect

Because if it ever comes out

By clotting it will set

I learned to love my heart

For never giving up

In providing all my life

When I felt I’d had enough

I began to love my skin

For being such a strong shield

And i’m glad i’m full of nerves

Who are allowing me to feel

I learned to love my legs and feet

For allowing me to walk

And I learned to love my tongue and cheeks

For allowing me to talk

I’m learning to love my movement

As my presence graces the earth

My body needs no improvement

Her appearance does not equal worth

Coming Undone

Donna McCabe

Watch me fall apart again

After being strong for so long

Having an emotional overload

To the tune of an old song

Like a cup that’s overflowing

The tears they fall like rain

I’m breaking apart at the seams

From this outpouring of emotional pain

Echoes of Love – The Pain of Stillbirth 

Written by Dr. Hassan Mallick 

Sometimes you can recognise the sound of love

Form the echo of pain it leaves behind

Beautiful symphonies orchestrated in your head

Come crashing down

In an off-key chorus

Of reality

A tempo of longing ensues

A rhythm of want that never synced

Hope blooms in unlikely gardens

Littered on the fertile soil of promises unkept

A bouquet of welcome

Heavy with the scent of unfulfilled potential

How do we love those we never met?

Plant seeds of hope for a flower that may never bloom?

The god laugh and ridicule

Your prayers of longing

The hymns of deliverance

Falling on cruel ears

All that’s left is the silence

Of what we could have sang

Broken perhaps by a hum or a soft whisper

Of I loved you

Labelled

Written by Ursula Galves Allam

Becoming slowly unrecognisable to yourself and others

Feelings and thoughts take

a hold, giving you the shudders

Memories and emotions that seem to flood your heart

Faces and places making it hard to know where to start

Decisions throughout the day, waiting to be made

Resting again in bed where it all just seems to fade

Urges of wanting help yet not knowing what to say

Triggers causing you hurt and pain, so you run away

Eventual admission to hospital, leaving you all shaken

Smiles, humour, character and personality are taken

Going through the phase that left a lesson to teach

Everything you’ve been through appears out of reach

Moments on camera where two of you appear to exist

Social media, once a coping mechanism now missed

Yet somehow the diagnosis isn’t feeling so photogenic

A hint of what it’s like to of been labelled ‘schizophrenic’

Unearthed 

Written by Alicia Gonsalves

Shedding my skin

With the coming of spring

I’ve been lying dormant

Buried under nothing

Buried under everything

The dirt I called a bed

That mound of earth I called

A roof over my head

My head where I slept

In the darkest recess

Till the light of day

Became hard to process

Spring is beginning

Deep inside my head

Dead skin I’ll be shedding

For I am not dead

It’s About Time 

Written by Carmela Tesfaye

The sun will soon come back

Light will follow dark

Grief will leave the seat

For joy to leave its mark

The terrible path you took

The cloudy days you spend

The pain you’re going through

Are all destined to end

Just be patient!

It’s about time

One day you will smile

Looking back at the climb

One day you will connect

The dots you left behind

The Truth Behind Healing 

Written by Zahrah Vahidy

A misconception is that healing is linear

It’s not something that will make you skinner

Healing is an endless rollercoaster

With its ups and downs

That goes all around

That is healing

Some things take longer to heal than others

Sometimes healing is reconnecting with your brothers

Having those tough conversations with your mothers

Healing comes in all shapes and sizes

With different rewards and prizes

At first, you may be cynical

But trust me it’s not physical

It’s a process to heal the mind

For you to be kind

And spread love to yourself as well as others

Healing is trying different types of foods

And journaling to avoid being so rude

Healing allows us to not let our tummies rumble

And to not feel guilty whilst eating an apple crumble

And for us to learn how to stay humble

That is healing

Healing allows us to grow and evolve

Understanding the whole world does not revolve

Around you

Understanding how our words impact others

And actions too

Understanding how strong we can be

Despite being buried underneath a tree

It allows us to be free

That is healing

Healing is not only about healing our inner child

It’s also about healing our inner teen

Taking constant detoxes so we do not get stuck in the machine

Sometimes healing is re-watching old disney shows from that hard time

And within that time those shows provided you with a sense of comfort and helped you stay in line

Providing a soft fluffy blanket which states that you will grow up to be just fine

It’s about healing our older selves

Healing each page on the bookshelf

That is healing

All of the above and more

As there is so much more to explore

Peter Pan and The Lost Boys 

Written by Max Scott

When I was young, I longed to be peter pan

To keep my life as a boy, shun being a man

Keep my heart youthful, strong and free

But instead, unavoidable, responsibility

The weight keeps some boys, lost afraid, lives took

For fear of bills, work, provide, the pressure cooks

Instead of confident hands, opportunities, take the fear of making a mistake

The thought of the growing old, growing up

Young pan learning how to fill his cup

That would be great if he had the time

Instead of working on this assembly line

He forgets to fly, fairy dust

Wings are clipped, works a must

Be tough, crack on, don’t need a hand hard as nails, be a man

Happy jokes, hide emerging cracks

Anxious thoughts, happiness lacks

Holes in the boat, no bucket, no bail

A system that sets you up to fail

Can’t deal with all the expectations

Young and old all lives are taken

Searching for an out, their calling

Waking up at night, fear of falling

Feeling misdirected, confused and full of pain

Because he can’t get his head right time and time again

Thinks its him, blames himself

Gets labelled, depressed, its mental health

Feel sick, isolated, from everybody near

A prisoner inside, the ones he loves he fears

He feels like he will let them down

Never learnt to swim, learnt to drown

Sometimes imagine, the world if he left

Not the only thoughts at this low depth

Young face, old eyes, busy brain

Loneliness won’t leave him alone again

Close this chapter of the book

Fly again, lost boy, defeat your hook

Make a choice, stand, don’t be defeated

Together lets come and try to beat it

Talking about feelings, friends laugh, say “please”

While they also suffer from the same disease

Still bizarre, out lawed called “mental” health

It’s just a crisis of self

Forget the stigma find your voice

Take control, make a choice

Don’t be negative to yourself, feel love be kind

This is the way to heal a broken mind

Share your feelings, your thoughts your story tell

To friends, to Wendy? Tinkerbell?

Here, you’re not alone, take my hand

And lets all fly off to neverland!