Rupi Kaur is a Canadian poet, and her poem “depression doesn’t knock“ is an incredibly powerful piece, filled with humour, raw vulnerability, and hope. The poem paints a picture of what it’s really like to have depression. Rupi highlights how depression can happen unexpectedly even when you are aware of the signs of depression. She also depicts how it manifests as an illness, as she writes:

“but depression didn’t knock when it arrived

it slid through an open window when I wasn’t looking…

by the time i realized this wasn’t a sadness i was experiencing

the sickness had its nails clawed so deep

into the fibers of my mind i couldn’t tell

what parts were it and what parts were me anymore”

Kaur goes on to illustrate how hard it is to find your way out of a state of depression, and the irony of how much energy is required for people with depression to get better, while they struggle with having energy. With pride, Kaur goes on to say:

“i want a standing ovation for every person

who wakes up and moved toward the sun

when there is a shadow pulling them back on the inside

i want a parade

i want music

i want confetti

for the ones surviving in silence”

Kaur illustrates the power of having hope and that it is possible to “move toward the sun” as she beautifully illustrates:

“and i am trying my best to have hope

for the love of my life

i’ll keep greeting each morning with an i will

even when it feels like i can’t

i will

i will

i will

meet a day that will melt me

i will move and the sadness will

fall off my shoulders

to make room for joy

i will be full of colour one day

i will feel alive again”

So if you are struggling, know that there is hope, and you will feel alive again, too.

To read Rupi Kaur’s full poem “depression doesn’t knock“, click here.

Image Credits:
Feature Image: Elyas Pasban, on Unsplash. Creative Commons