Cousin of Mine

Born so tiny,

New possibilities,

I held you in my arms,

So small and new.

Your life was hard,

Tossed around,

Never knowing where you would land,

Hiding in the dark.

Then you found love,

Goodness and pure,

You had two tiny babies of your own,

Precious and yours.

Before long, you were spiralling again,

Down deeper into the dark,

Crouched in the corner weeping,

No tiny babies anymore.

Lost with your demons,

Hurting you and others,

Not able to see the light,

Lost from all who care.

I try to help you,

My hand is always here,

Willing to pull you free,

From your demons.

You slap my hand away,

Scream and slur,

Your words are hurtful,

I just want to help.

You sit in your darkness,

Too scared to let me in,

I just want to help you,

Just know I am here.

Author's Note

Thank you for stopping by, appreciate you taking the time.

Reviews

[John the Baptist]

This has the sound of mental illness. The speaker is the witness to a relative's descent into what appears to be depression. No specifics are given, but one is left to wonder if the depression is of the post partum type.
The speaker continues to be supportive. Sometimes, that's all you can do.

[Wild Rose]

It can be hard to give support; when the other person slaps you down > unknowing

Who are you
I am your husband
When did we get married
59 years ago - Not in her memory

[Coyote Poetry]

Hello dear Josephine.
"You sit in your darkness,
Too scared to let me in,
I just want to help you,
Just know I am here."
The above lines is all we do sometimes. A friend leading with kindness and concern can save a life. Thank you, dear poet, for sharing the amazing poetry.
Coyote

[Wild Rose]

Been their
She went to live in fairly land

She woke one day
Have I been dreaming

NOW
She is part-time in our world
Part with her fantasies
OR
Are they demons

Who can tell?

You described it as it is

[Carlos Lorenzo Estrada]

As a person who has suffered with depression for most of my life and even now in my mid 50's I could see all the signs of it in your poem. I wrote a piece recently called Linger which explains the pernicious effects of this disease of the mind. Never give up on trying to help your cousin despite her efforts to push you away. Thank you for sharing these vital words with us in your poem.

[Josephine New]

Thank you. He is getting help but he has pushed away all of his family. He knows I am here.

[Josephine New]

Thank you John & Chris for your comments. He is getting medical help for mental health. He is pushing all his family away. He knows I am here if he lets me in.

[Chris Shaw]

I have learned that you can be there to support people, but you can't change their behaviour. Only they can do that. It can be a source of much pain and frustration. Relatable poetry.

Chris