Deadly Nightshade by The Forgotten Muse
A poem inspired by grief, loss, and deeply personal experiences. CW//Suicide
Note: This feature’s topic warning includes themes of death, loss, and suicide. Please only read if you feel comfortable doing so.
Grief. Trauma. The human condition. There is the good in it, but also the depressing and the sorrowing. Yet, today’s poem from
offers a more personal experience. However, before we consume this poem, let’s learn more about our writer:“I write deeply emotional and evocative pieces on topics such as childhood wounds, inner battles, healing and trauma and the ghosts we carry.
I hope someday to be known as a hauntingly emotional poet, who weaved themes of grief, love, longing, and remembrance with deep, poetic intensity, leaving a lasting ache in the reader’s heart.
Deadly Nightshade is a piece which offers exactly that: haunting, emotional, beautifully woven between the themes aforementioned. And not only that, it was written back in March of this year. So recent, yet perhaps, unforgettable.
You can also check out all of her author stuff by hitting the button below, where you’ll be taken to her linktree.
DEADLY NIGHTSHADE
I will protect you said the deadly Nightshade:
Protect you from your pain,
Protect you from the demons inside your head,
Protect you from the world,
And protect you from yourself.Caught in the orbit, there I was,
A blooming thing, foolish and wild,
Full of questions,
Yet never asking the most important question of all:Dear Nightshade, Who protects me from you?
WHO PROTECTS ME FROM YOU?Alas, the aftermath
Gone is the nightshade,
With a piece of my soul.
Gone is the devourer,
With things I cannot name.Take a broken, damaged thing
And break it further.
Take a bird with one broken wing,
And pluck the other.In this empty, dying body,
I scrub until my hands blister with rage
Realising to my horror,
That shame is not water-soluble.It lingers in the reflection,
In every mirror I refuse to look into.
In the dark behind every pillow I lay my head on,
In the irrevocable shift of my brain chemistry.The silence is mine to bear,
The wound was my sin,
And the breaking is my penance.
Foolish little flower.
Below are some insights provided by The Forgotten Muse.
What were some of your inspirations when writing this piece?
My work is generally inspired by my personal experiences in life and my experiences around grief, trauma and the dark sides of the human experience in general. This piece specifically is relating to something that I’ve personally experienced.
Is there anything you hope the reader will take away from it?
I’m hoping that readers can see that they’re not alone, regardless of what they’re currently going through or have gone through in the past. I’m hoping that they see that there’s someone who relates with their pain and their grief.
Do you have any additional thoughts you'd like to share about this piece?
It’s 3 AM as i write this, and I’m awake, as I often am. Taking mental inventory. I let my mind wander to places it’s drawn to in the dead of night. Forbidden places. Regrets, questions, all the things I could’ve done differently. Life is beautiful, until it’s not. How strange, the complexity of the human experience. So intricate, so diverse. Yet, pain? Pain is a universal language, spoken by all, in every corner of the world.
These are the things I reflect on in this quiet, elusive hour. Maybe one day, I’ll share my story with you, but for now, I offer something else. A poem.
I’m sorry that it may not bring you closure or healing, but I want you to know this: I hear you. I see you.
Mental health can be a toxic relationship, and it often comes in many unique flavors. In this piece in particular, the focus is on an intrusive thought— overwhelming and full of promise. Until, you consume the deadly nightshade and everything flips.
Everyone’s story and struggle with mental health; depression, anxiety, su*cidal ide*tion is different. But there is common ground, and you’re never alone in that struggle.
This poem may not have a positive end, but it’s a telling experience— and I think bringing more awareness to something like this is important. In a world more connected than ever, more people feel alone than ever before.
As for my thoughts on the poem and its flow and structure: I think this was a beautifully written piece. From a storytelling perspective it drew me in and kept me engaged all the way through. And that sense of emotion and rawness, it’s powerful.
Thank you for allowing us an opportunity to feature your work, The Forgotten Muse. I just know this piece will leave an impact on many others.
What are your thoughts on this piece? Let us know in the comments below.
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I really appreciate this feature and your insightful review. Thank you very much 💜
🙏