Tag Archives: mental illness

Stench Of Urine

Stench of urine,

Cardboard shacks,

Shopping carts,

Tattered clothes,

Hand-me-downs from the dumpster I suppose.

 

Rummaging through waste baskets,

Feasting on tainted food scraps,

Hiding in the shadows,

Sleeping on steam grates,

Misused,

Abused,

Something less than human.

 

Left for dead in the cold,

Filth in the form of flesh and blood,

But have you ever looked into their eyes,

Heard their hearts beat,

Seen them cry,

Gasp for their final breath?

 

I’m sure you haven’t

As you stepped over their broken bodies,

Avoiding them like the plague,

Chuckling at their despair,

On your way to your comfortable life.

 

Can’t you take a moment to lend a hand,

A little food,

A little shelter,

A bit of cash,

Instead of treating them like lepers,

Feeding off teets of the man..

 

You don’t know them,

You don’t know their stories,

Their hardships,

Their tragedies,

But you should…

They are our brothers and sister after all.

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Second Amendment

Second Amendment

America’s obsession

Is this not sickness

An unhealthy love of guns

Could be deemed insanity

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Author’s Note: Before the gun advocates out there start jumping all over me I want to make it clear that I am not anti-gun.  I myself am a gun owner and will continue to be.  I do however,  believe the following: that we have no need in the public realm to possess assault weapons of any kind, only good can come in requiring background checks to purchase a gun, and lastly that there is no valid reason why a gun should not be registered.  All of the objections to any kind of  reasonable gun control are coming from conspiracy theorists and through the garbage spewed by the NRA.

 

According to statistics there have been 355 mass shooting in 2015 alone and with each one the majority of Americans hope that it will be the one that finally changes things, but alas nothing ever changes.  Yesterday 14 people were murdered in a mass shooting in San Bernadino California and just like the other 354 that came before it, nothing will likely be done.  All of our thoughts and prayers for the families, though kind, won’t bring their loved ones back nor prevent this type of thing from ever happening again. Thoughts without actions are useless.  No, stricter gun control laws won’t stop every incident of gun violence, but if they stop just one senseless death it would absolutely be worth it. Of course this is just one man’s opinion.

 

As a final note, the statement from gun advocates is that the bulk of mass shootings are caused by the mentally ill, with this I take no issue, I do believe however, that America’s obsessive compulsive attitude toward guns is a mental illness as well and one that needs treated for the sake of us all.

Shadowy Creatures

Shadowy creatures

Thrive in absolute darkness,

What is it they seek?

Are they feasting on my fears

Or do they desire blood?

 

Real or imagined

They torture me just the same.

This…my illusion

Has become reality,

Whether I like it or not.

 

The mind truly can

Be such a terrible thing…

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Anger of a Man

Anger of a man

Lashing out at the world,

Perhaps it’s sadness.

He’s being eaten from inside

And left for dead by mankind.

.

Hastily judging

Simple feeds the savage beast.

Leaving him a shell,

Unrecognizable to

Friends and family alike.

.

Such a waste is this

When each life is so precious

To cast it aside.

Leaving him alone to die

Amongst the concrete and cold.

.
.
~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Many Years We Laughed

Many years we laughed

Now with heavy hearts we cry

Saddened by your pain

Hidden by smiles on screen

You were tortured behind doors

Left to your own mind

You couldn’t escape the hurt

Of your wounds unseen

Then in despair you broke

Taking our laughter with you

 

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Pain You Cannot See

Pain you cannot see,

Can be heard–

In the wavering of words,

Can be seen–

In the worried expression.

Reliving the past in waking dreams;

Speaking to the invisible that seem so real;

Returning to the present awash with anger.

Ravages of war do not always leave visible wounds–

For the visible may be treated with scalpel and stitch.

That which is unseen may be the most devastating of all,

Lasting a lifetime,

Tormenting, demonizing, incapacitating,

Shattering the spirit.

We see this on the streets,

We see this in the shelters,

We see it on the cardboard signs

And in the tin cans held out by dirty hands,

No place is immune.

These are the ones we turn away,

Diverting our eyes,

Ignoring them as a nuisance,

Wishing they would just go away.

Does not their sacrifice grant them better?

They gave when called,

Offering life and limb;

Permitting us the pursuit of our happiness.

Yet what do we offer in return?

Nothing but contempt.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

 

Dark Closet

Its a dark closet,

Door shut,

Bolt fixed,

Lock turned.

Reaching above the door frame,

Skeleton key missing.

Clanging of metal tells the tale.

You’ve locked yourself inside,

Stolen the key.

Don’t you want rescue,

To be saved,

Freed from this dungeon?

In an instant

Lights go out.

No sign of life beneath locked door.

All is quite,

Retreating to the recesses of your mind.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~

Demons, Of The Mind Or Real

Demons, of the mind or real

Are they not one and the same?

It all depends on how you feel,

Perception is the name of the game.

~

A fact to one, to another fiction

It matters your point of view.

A passing fad or tragic addiction,

Apparent in what we say and do.

~

It makes no difference the chosen vice,

Whether outside or so ingrained.

Once affliction takes hold, you never think twice,

They are illness’ one and the same

~

Bite down on your tongue the next time you speak

About thinks you know nothing about.

The outlook for some, no matter how bleak

Is a demon they’re fighting to rush out.

~

~~ Dominic R. DiFrancesco ~~