Monsters in Our Head

We all have monsters in our head,
Subconscious details
Embedded in the deepest recesses of our minds,
Not anything we normally think about during our days,
Yet always present,
Buried in the darkest corners,
Surfacing when we are most vulnerable,
Interrupting our sleep pattern with vivid dreams and insomnia,
Ugly, little “what ifs,”
Torturous and self-destructive demons,
Ready to devour us alive,
Spewing our mashed entrails out for the scavengers.

Sometimes the monsters in our heads
Appear simply as vague, uneasy feelings -- boogeymen.
Like a child who fears the darker depths under his bed
Without really knowing why,
We can fear the spooky unknown, too.
Often insidious ideas implant themselves
In our self-preserving psyche
Enabling us to rationalize and run away
From fulfilling relationships that we crave.
Yet previous hurt haunts us,
Paralyzes us,
Initiating the defense mechanism,
Preventing us from suffering additional pain.
Like zombies, we are alive, but not feeling,
Seeing only black shadows,
Incapable of dusting off the cobwebs
Or embracing all the hues, tints, and colors
So richly offered upon Life’s palette.

What are the monsters in your head?
What prevents you from accepting
An outstretched loving hand, a canvas of color,
Or the symphony of Life?
Are the eerie devils whispering to you from the depths
That you’ve been rejected before?
Do those prowling, beastly voices in your head try convincing you of your guilt,
That your spouse cheating on you was actually your fault?
Do the spectral murmurings taunt you that you could have prevented the abuse?
Are you afraid you will be swallowed whole before finding elusive success?
Or, are you trembling at the thought of piranhas using you once more?
Has God called your loved one to his side,
Forcing you to shiver uncontrollably
While thinking, with the Grim Reaper about
You can’t allow yourself to get close to anyone else?
What fiendish ghouls hang out in your head,
Sparking terror in your soul?

We’ve all had monsters in our head,
Banishment is never easy,
So grieve, if need arises
For divorce, death, or the end,
Express your anger, your hurt, your loneliness, your emotions,
Accept, and recover wholly.
Disperse the ghosts and come out of the darkness,
Climb out of the dungeon, breathe deeply, live.
You are more sensitive, more compassionate, more understanding –
You are stronger in spirit than ever before,
Capable of appreciating more deeply
The smiles, the beauty, the peace,
As well as the angels among us.
Remember with pleasure good things of the past,
But find hope for the future.
Don’t be afraid, dear –
Believe in yourself.
Lay the monsters to rest;
Reach for my hand.
66 lines