We live in a house with so many rooms,
where all of us roam in the darkness that looms.
We don’t always speak to each other about
the things that our host kindly helps us sort out.
Our memories don’t always link up quite right,
so recalling things can be quite a fight.
When he, she, or me is in charge of this space,
things get confusing; it’s hard to keep pace.
We walk through the halls, but we’re never alone,
Each room has a heart, a mind, and a tone.
Their voices they blend in a quickening ride,
Some alters step forward, while others must hide.
Who is this Murdock in all this upheaval?
Who is the Sandman, a ghost or just evil?
Is Peter the host, a thread, or the seam?
Or is Mac now in charge of this complex scene?
A child is among us, almost forgotten.
A mourner’s here, too, in sad desperation.
An older guy’s here who’s seen two monarchs reign.
And the soldier protecting us all from the rain.
So help me embrace all the alters who visit.
And keep my confusion to some sort of limit.
For though we are many, we’re all of us me.
Many fish in one ocean, but only one sees.
By me, them and us.
I was asked to write a poem about dissociative personality disorder (DID), formally known as split personality or multiple personality disorder.
The irony about this is the amount of editing it took me to get to this final version. I eventually realised the reason for so many edits was that I wasn’t dealing with the same personality each time I spoke with him, hence so many edits. 🙂
A big thank you to my good friend Taff, who was extraordinarily patient with me.
If this poem resonates with you or you believe it will help anyone else understand this condition better, please copy the URL above and send it to anyone who might benefit from reading it.
Many thanks.
Mac