CW: mental health/depression
Spravato's song
by Kara Dunford
Our story begins, as some do,
with our heroine languishing in the desert.
That’s when I appear, her last drop
of water, relief at the end of the rope.
She’s told herself to try.
She’s tended the fires of tomorrow,
keeping watch even when
she was sure they would go out.
And here I am, 84 milligrams of hope,
an escape route disguised as a nasal spray.
Sit back, I say: you’re seeking a way out of
the valley, and I have the map.
Sit back, I say: you’re searching for
the light, and I have the match.
Sit back, I say: sit back.
Kara Dunford (she/her) is a writer living in Washington, DC. Her favorite poets include Lucille Clifton, Matthew Olzmann, Maggie Smith, and Ocean Vuong. She loves theater and ice cream, and she can often be found rooting for the Red Sox, Washington Spirit, and DC United, or exploring used bookshops.