In the depths of my mind,  

A shadow lurks,  

A heavy weight upon my chest, 

A darkness that never fades.  

Days blend into nights, 

As I navigate this endless maze, 

Lost in a sea of numbness, 

Drowning in my own thoughts. 

A smile painted on my face, 

A mask I wear so well, 

But inside, I'm crumbling, 

A broken soul in a living hell. 

The world moves on around me, 

But I'm stuck in this eternal gray, 

For depression is a cruel companion, 

That never seems to go away. 

I long for the light to break through, 

To banish this black cloud for good, 

But until then, I'll keep on fighting, 

In this battle misunderstood. 

So here I stand, broken yet strong, 

A survivor of my own mind, 

Hoping one day I'll find peace, 

And leave my depression behind.

- Natalie Flaherty-Verrall 

Anxiety creeps in like a shadow 

A ghostly presence that never leaves 

It wraps its icy fingers around my heart 

Squeezing, suffocating, neverending 

My mind races with a thousand thoughts 

Each more terrifying than the last 

What ifs and worst case scenarios 

Tangling together in a web of fear 

I try to breathe, to calm my racing heart 

But the panic grips me tighter still 

I am drowning in a sea of worry 

Struggling to keep my head above the waves 

Anxiety is a cruel master 

It feeds on my doubts and insecurities 

A constant companion, whispering in my ear 

That I am not enough, that I will never be enough 

But I refuse to let it win 

I will not let anxiety control me 

I will fight back, with all the strength I have 

Until I am free from its suffocating anxiety.

- Natalie Flaherty-Verrall 

In the land of silence, where words do not flow, 

Lies a condition that few may know. 

Selective mutism, a mysterious plight, 

Where voices are hushed, out of sight. 

From a young age, the silence creeps, 

Clutching tightly, as courage seeps. 

In the classroom, among friends, 

The mute one struggles, alone it ends. 

But deep within, a fire burns bright, 

A spirit longing to take flight. 

To break the chains of silence's grip, 

And unleash the words, from within it. 

Through trials and tribulations, the mute one fights, 

To find their voice, in the darkest nights. 

A journey of courage, of strength and will, 

To overcome the silence, and let words spill. 

And so the epic of selective mutism unfolds, 

A tale of bravery, of stories untold. 

For in the silence, there lies a spark, 

Waiting to ignite, and light the dark.

- Natalie Flaherty-Verrall