Audible Voices 

NASTY, ugly, insulting they start,

Frightening I can’t switch them off,

None I recognise, to pierce my heart,

Louder and louder they shout and scoff,

Where are they coming from, outside or in?

I feel bullied and scared,

Please how can I shut off this din?

Lots more join in their torture shared,

I am their victim, why choose me?

Where are they coming from?

I cannot see,

Tears well up and pour down my face,

Cowed I feel an utter disgrace,

Oh, help me please,

I need to be rescued,

Kind souls approach I know and trust,

They hug, console me, they are not crude,

But are shocked that I’m constantly cussed,

My MD cannot help, it is not his field,

But local specialist can and will,

From this tirade of abuse, they can shield,

Straight away they give me a pill,

I am also given in depth counselling,

Pills quieten the voices can even switch them off,

Talking things over is embarrassing,

Plus, the thought of stigmatisation makes me cough,

As time goes by they come back sometimes,

Triggered by worry and fear,

Or overwork stresses makes propensity climbs,

Plus, a form of epilepsy now clear,

Initial diagnosis was acute anxiety,

Few years in became schizoid psychosis,

Helps them and me cope with all of this,

I dreaded the idea that I could get so bad,

When not at home get arrested and sectioned,

But the day it happened I was totally mad,

And initially I felt completely shunned,

But we in Wotton Lawn,

Were all treated with care and respect,

And three days in I wasn’t so forlorn,

Also, I understand why I’d been decked,

Teresa and Kitty are brilliant!

So grateful they set this up,

Donations welcome, you can be succinct,

Pay what you can for a delicious cup,

Perhaps you have a few pennies more,

In your purse or in your pocket,

Kitty’s treats beckon, cakes and salads for all,

Freshly made delight, don’t mock it.

Come talk, relax, discuss,

We’re all in it together,

Feel part of a crowd, one of us,

Don’t feel alone at the end of your tether.

Jane Gadd

Cainscross