Depression Poem by B. V. Dahlen

It slinks aside
Like shadow
Giving way to light.
I wave goodbye
With a hesitant smile,
Fearful of it’s return,
But feeling lighter
As if that unseen hand,
Pressing on my heart
Has lifted,
Rising slowly,
Like my hunched spine,
To straighter pose.
I feel the warmth
Of blood or joy
Seeping into corners
That too long shriveled
In drab despair.
I draw the breath
Of life and living
Deep into my core,
And wait to know
If it aches or heals.
With skeptical delight,
I recognize
That here in the heart
Of winter darkness,
Hope has risen.