Analysis of Before I Wake



I open my eyes to the sun,
But I feel no heat.
I rise out of bed,
With no ground beneath my feet.

I seem to float on air,
From room to room I go.
No one notices my presence,
It’s like I’m someone they don’t know.

I start to panic,
My voice screams and I shout.
I am welcome with silence,
There has to be a way out.

I make my way to the bedroom,
Hoping to find a clue.
What’s waiting for me is a shock,
It’s my body, cold and blue.

Images race through my mind,
The night I went to sleep.
An empty bottle next to me,
To drown me forever deep.

To take it all back,
It leaves me in wonder.
Maybe now there can be sunlight,
After so much thunder.

My spirit floats over me,
Allowing me to choose.
Am I hurting anybody,
With a battle I want to lose?

My feelings fight me,
Isn’t it better this way?
My loved ones could be happier,
I’ll only cause more trouble if I stay.

My decision is made for me,
I join my body once again.
These dark thoughts won’t stop,
But I can never give in.


Scheme XAXA XBCB XDCD XEXE XFGF XHXH GIGI GJHJ GXXX
Poetic Form Quatrain  (89%)
Metre 11011101 11111 11111 1110111 111111 111111 11100110 1111111 11110 111011 1110110 1111011 1111101 101101 01011101 1110101 1001111 011111 11010111 1110101 11111 111010 1011111 101110 1101101 010111 11101000 10101111 11011 111011 11111100 1101110111 10101111 11110101 11111 1111010
Closest metre Iambic trimeter
Characters 1,000
Words 246
Sentences 18
Stanzas 9
Stanza Lengths 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4, 4
Lines Amount 36
Letters per line (avg) 20
Words per line (avg) 6
Letters per stanza (avg) 81
Words per stanza (avg) 22

About this poem

I've struggled my whole life with depression. Although I never attempted, I've had thoughts of suicide as a teen and adult. It's a sensitive and sometimes taboo subject, but it should be acknowledged and known that those who feel that way are not alone.

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Written on March 20, 2021

Submitted by dom91 on February 10, 2022

Modified on March 05, 2023

1:13 min read
40

Dominique Phelps

I'm a mother of two sons who recently got divorced last year. I live in my hometown and work as a bus monitor. I love writing, especially poetry. I'm currently taking online classes for a creative writing degree. more…

All Dominique Phelps poems | Dominique Phelps Books

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