You put on your daily mask.
You nod.
You smile.
You pretend.
All the while,
You are drowning in quicksand.
It rises slowly,
Climbing from your feet to your chest,
Until it reaches your ears
And the world falls silent.
Everyone you know,
Everything you love,
Becomes distant and muffled,
As though viewed through dark water.
Your eyes reveal a panic
That your voice cannot express.
Soon, the quicksand covers your face.
Your throat fills with filth.
You suffocate in silence.
A crushing weight settles upon you,
Pressing down on every thought,
Every movement,
Every breath.
At last, you can no longer struggle.
You simply lie motionless,
Suspended in a cold black emptiness,
Numb,
Yet still sinking.
There is no comfort here.
Even in the darkness,
Something continues to pull you deeper.
And somehow,
You are expected to endure it all again tomorrow.
This is depression.