Mental illness is slippery
How can I hold you accountable for
Or get angry at
What you did to me
When you’re not in your right mind
And never were
The thing is
Where is the line between can’t and won’t
What is the participation collusion laziness
Of your soul
unwilling to see the damage you inflict
Or get the help you need
And isn’t all violence
A form of mental illness on some level
Because nobody in a sate of peace love nad compassion
Would inflict suffering on another human
So is violence
Is mental illness
A choice
And can the answer to that question perhas
Only be determined
On a case by case basis
Is part of some mental illness
The inability to recognize mental illness
Making that mentally ill person
A simultaneous victim and perpetrator
And what is our individual and collective responsibility
In this situation
To what extent is it incumbent upon me
To put my energy into
Guiding you
To recognize the damage and get help
In particular when you are resistant
And see my relentless care fierce devotion
As an ongoing assault
In particular
When you are the one
Who assaulted me
And denied it
Adding psychological torment
To your violence
In particular
When you are family
And I care
But I care about me too
Where do I draw the line
Cut the rope
And truly release myself
Because I can save m
But I cannot save you
©2018 by Loolwa Khazzoom. All rights reserved. No portion of this article may be copied without author’s permission.
