How Poetry Helped Me Understand Mental Health

“Slam… Poetry. Yelling! Angry. Waving my hands a lot.” If you’ve seen the movie 22 Jumpstreet, you’d know this scene all too well. Humor aside, slam poetry refers to an arts competition where spoken word poetry is performed. Back in high school, it started off as a source of inspiration for channeling complex emotions as a theater kid. However, as it captures raw stories in a very honest way, my idea of ‘slam poetry’ transformed from a meme into a platform to understand almost vividly what mental health could mean for different people. Here are five of my top picks to get you on board. 

1. To This Day by Shane Koyczan
   “Our lives will only ever always continue to be a balancing act that has less to do with pain, and more to do with beauty.”
   
   An ode to anti-bullying, “To This Day” illustrates stories of different characters who experience isolation and insecurities. Having performed this for our school’s anti-bullying campaign, I realized the impact of such words even for people who were not necessarily in bullying situations. In the same vein, I hope this nudges you to live every day with more kindness – for others, and also for yourself.
   
   

2. Explaining My Depression to My Mother - Sabrina Benaim
   “Anxiety is the cousin visiting from out of town that depression felt obligated to invite to the party. Mom, I am the party.”
   
   Spoiler alert: This is a waterfall of emotions. Many of us find it challenging to get people to understand what goes on in our heads, precisely because we ourselves find it difficult to comprehend and put into words. For those who grasp concepts with analogies and metaphors, this piece creatively illustrates depression, anxiety and insomnia. May this help us find the sentiments buried in our hearts, that we may promote empathy as well.
   
   

3. Are You Okay? by Taz Alam
   “If I just let all the anger out, eventually the pain would subside, the burden inside would offload and I’d feel a lot lighter. My perspective on life would change and the world would become brighter.”
   
   Many of us have reflex responses when we are asked this question. This spoken word piece reminds us that it is okay to let our guard down, because only then will we find ourselves closer to genuine relief and healing. The world is not conspiring against us. In time, we will find people we can truly be ourselves with, until the moments arrive when we can confidently respond “I’m fine.”
   
   

4. This is Not the End of the World by Neil Hilborn
   “I'm not saying you find the meaning of life in other people. I'm saying other people are the life to which you provide the meaning.”
   
   When overthinking spells cloud our minds, we often turn inward, especially during an era of self-isolation due to the pandemic. However, as we continue to wallow, the made-up version we have of the world in our heads can sometimes do us more harm than good. Frankly, the world outside our minds is far calmer than the chaos we’ve imagined. While it is good to take a step back and recenter, let’s not forget to step into the light and bask in what the present has to offer.
   
   

5. Wake Up by Jesse Oliver
   “Love is our weapon, and we are armed to our teeth, and we will change the world with the words that we speak.”
   
   To cap off this list, I leave you with a call to action. With the growing conversation on phenomena like mental health, we are also invited to take part in this movement. To be in tune with ourselves and with the world, we must wake up to the reality that besets us. Further, we must continue to stay awake by helping to provide safe spaces where we can all embrace our individual journeys and support each other. 

If you’ve read the other blog posts I’ve shared through Calm Collective, you would have come to realize that art is a big part of my mental health journey, whether it be through music, literature, or visual content. As much as I have found solace in art, I have made it my goal to use my own means of expression such that others may find comfort as well. I sincerely hope that wherever and however you find inspiration, you’ll be able to take a nugget of wisdom that you can pass on and share. After all, we are all just storytellers with narratives entangling whenever fate decides it opportune. Until our paths cross again, take courage and cultivate calm.