At a young age I developed the symptoms
Of OCD, but I did not know what it was, not
Being diagnosed until many years later
The illness was very frightening with twisted
Thoughts that would not go away, like a ride
I could not get off
I wrote this poem –
The train whistle blew calling
All aboard, my mind
Said no a ticket I could not
Afford
Not listening to what I knew
I boarded anyway
The train was red with big
Shiny teeth
Grey puffs of smoke rose
From the chimney stack
I wondered if this train would
Ever come back
As we pulled from the depot I
Noticed a sign –
OCD ‘Twisted Train’ was its name
That should have given me a clue
As over the miles we flew
The conductor came around
I asked him where we were
Bound
When he said the destination
I quickly jumped up, that was
Not the destination I had in
Mind
I walked through the twisted
Cars, each one had a name
Fear
Doubt
Guilt
And shame
If I stayed on this train I would
Become distraught
My thoughts would set up a loop
And I could not get off
I besought the engineer “I must
Get off”
Slamming on the brakes as I
Pulled on the cord he asked me
Where I wanted to go and what
I was looking for
“Please sir, I have checked all
The cars and they are twisted
“Please let me off”
He asked me if I had checked
The caboose, maybe there I would
Find what I was looking for
Walking through the cars again
I opened the door at the very
End
It was full of thoughts and I quickly
Shut the door and fled
There was no more room for
One more thought in my head
Again I pulled the cord and pled
With the engineer to let me off
Finally at the end of the route
He stopped
I sat on the bench waiting for the
Next train to take me to a peaceful
Destination, one I could afford.
(c)2014 by Donna Nieri
