I once read a story

a long time ago

that depression was like a bad dog

who creeps up on you slow.

I have bipolar

it's an ugly disease

another kind of bad dog

who never really leaves.

Yet training this bad dog

has taught things to me,

sometimes hard to remember,

but I can think of three.

The first is to find

the silver lining of things

if I see only dark

only pain it brings.

The second is to think

outside of the box

to learn coping skills

and ways to detox.

The third is learning

how to talk about pain

and not suffer alone

with nothing to gain.

Taming the bad dog

was harder than hell

it took years of my life

and left me a shell.

But looking on the bright side, 

I take heart to know

that despite the dark winter

I managed to grow.