A collection of poetry that follows one year in the life of someone dealing with addiction and mental health issues. It will walk you through being recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and all the problems that come along with it...
A collection of poetry that follows one year in the life of someone dealing with addiction and mental health issues. It will walk you through being recently diagnosed with schizophrenia and all the problems that come along with it...
UNLOCKED DIARY
An unlocked diary
Full of fears and fate
Filled with love
And not hate
Words rhymed without form
With a withered rose
A split mind on the mend
Willing to persevere till the end
Open now for all to see
Between religious, and blasphemy
An unlocked diary
Is all I have to offer you
I have fallen and opened up
Knowing now what not to do
So here you are
If you want to see
Welcome to my
Unlocked diary…
Split Mind by Brad Smith is a collection of writings that touch deeply into the turmoil Smith goes through on his journey to understanding.Â
Smith introduces himself and draws you into his struggle to understand what his mind is doing. It is a great introduction and by the time you are done reading it your interest has peaked and you can’t wait to see the poetry he has written to depict these mental circumstances.Â
Unlocked Diary is the first poem and sets the mood for the remainder of the book. Smith’s poems sometimes rhyme, sometimes don’t, but they are all easy to understand and enjoyable to read.Â
An unlocked diary
Is all I have to offer you
I have fallen and opened up
Knowing now what not to do
(p.13)
Smith talks about the pain he goes through, knowing he is different.
To my ego, such a blow
Knowing they think I am below
Oh, how little compassion, do they know...
(p. 15)
Smith brings us through the four seasons and the changes that occur in his life while dealing with schizophrenia.Â
I gave this book of poems three out of five stars for Smith’s bravery to share with the world his thoughts and feelings at a time when he was feeling so vulnerable. The poems elicit thought and there are poems that he dedicates to certain people. The titles of his poems offer a rough timeline of self-understanding.
The reason I gave only three stars is because I was anticipating a change from the poems at the beginning to the poems at the end, depicting the changes he went through, but I found them to appear quite static, as I didn’t really feel him changing from beginning to end. The poems remain quite vague and although easy to understand, did not emit the feelings that are portrayed in the introduction.Â
I am glad that I was able to read about Smith’s journey but feel that he is still holding back the story which he really wants to tell. I feel his work is safe and in a comfortable place, whereas his life changes dramatically, according to his intro. I would have loved to see more of him in his writing rather than his view of the world around him.