When the day after Christmas occurred, one got word that one’s manuscript intrigued a publishing company’s attention and had the potential to become an official author. Well, however, one had to decline an offer too good to be true. An iffy move on my part, but forking over $4,000 to spend the next year working with a publisher with no guarantees of publishing the book, I had to decline.

Since, I don’t live with enormous wealth and live paycheck to paycheck like everyone else; I had no choice. I had to protect myself even though it could’ve done great things. But remember, if something seems to good to be true then it probably isn’t. Why shell out money you don’t have and end up losing all your money for nothing? So, I continue to write and be patient. I’m trying to practice the art of extreme patience. It’s hard. One local editor in my area is interested in the book as well as the subject matter. I hope for great things and no upfront costs (or tricks as I call them!) and hope to publish soon.

With one project completed and still waiting to get into the publishing business; I started a new writing project.

It’s very therapeutic to write when you’re depressed. A wise doctor introduced me to WET therapy (Written Exposure Therapy), and so I write. It’s almost the same as blogging or journaling. You may think, why write poems? I think it’s a fun challenge and I’m by no means a professional laureate.

The great Stephen King had wonderful advice to aspiring writers in his book “On Writing.” Start writing, create time, stick to it, edit yourself and so much more great advice. He also stresses the importance of revise, revise, and revise. Smart man, right! So I take that advice to heart.

There is one book on Goodreads that I loved a series of break up poems. Inside the writer describes her experience in relationships, the pain, and lessons learned by writing.

I tried to do that myself, and I tried writing a little poem (if you want to call it that), but I call it an idea or doodle. It isn’t the best, but the idea is simple. Living with mental illness is like being haunted or stalked by demons.

Haunted

There’s a spirit out on the loose

Something haunting me

Things are displaced

Disembodied voices heard at all hours of the day and night

Chilling laughter lurks around every corner

Noises and bangs so loud that shock to the core

“Who’s there? And what do you want?”

No one answers

Something is occurring here

And I’m haunted

Suddenly, the room is cold as ice

Air that chills to the bone

An investigator is called to help out

The investigation takes place, and there’s a presence lurking around the premises

The house’s not haunted nor is anyone possessed

A real demon haunts the owner of the house

A prayer and a ritual cleansing can’t exorcize the demon lurking the premises

This darkness can’t be won’t go away that quickly

This evil force inside is too powerful for the investigators

That it terrifies them, they run away, and can’t help me anymore

Who can help me now?

Divine intervention?

Modern medication?

The solution doesn’t happen overnight, it takes a lifetime