Antes

Another poem about when I struggled with depression, yay! P.S. "Antes" means "Before"

The urgent shriek of my alarm
Pierces the haze of my sleep and
Jerks me into an upright position.
I fumble
blindly
For the off switch to the screeching device,
My eyelids heavy,
Glued together with remnants of my slumber.

Failing to locate the off switch,
I jerk the cord out of the wall,
And sigh
As the wailing comes to an
Abrupt silence.
Anything to make the stupid thing shut up,
I think to myself.

Sliding out of bed
And onto the floor,
I hold my head between my knees.
The sound of the alarm clock echoes in my mind:
Demanding;
Reprimanding;
Screaming;
Crying…

Next thing I know, I’m in the shower-
Head down,
Blisteringly hot water running down my back,
Streaming over my face.
I stand there
As the water scalds my pink,
Medium-rare skin,
Occasionally spitting out the water
That somehow finds its way into my mouth.
I stand there
Until the scorching hot water
Runs icy cold.