Verbal Contract Poem by Wendy Moravec

There is an ironclad verbal contract between you and me

That if I desire to harm this self, I have to speak free

You’ve always known that sharing feelings is not my strongest suit

But if I get that sense of desolation, I’m not allowed to stay mute

I never promised that I could be stopped if I was so far gone

Only that you’d be aware of my intentions on if I’d live to see another dawn

I don’t want to find myself in a state of such utter despair

But sometimes I have no control and I’m gasping for air

I don’t want to go to that place or hurt myself in such a way

And I try to get through each day by asking for help when I pray

My faith shakes and I struggle to keep the trust that God is there intact

But at least because you love me, I have that verbal contract