Words From the Other Side: A Crazy Girl's Book of Poetry

By Rachel Winter

Words From the Other Side is a book of poetry that surround my experiences with mental illnesses and an eating disorder. My intention with sharing this poetry is to show readers that recovery is possible, and that it is a journey that a person cannot make alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tablo Publishing
• Release date: Oct 15, 2019
• ISBN: 9781922328755

Book preview

Bones

I beg of you,

Demon in my head,

With all of your power,

With your greatest might,

Gift me what I wish for most.

I'll give you anything,

Anything you wish,

In exchange for it.

For my wildest dream,

An unfading desire,

I grovel in your glory,

Praising your beauty,

Embracing your strength.

Vesting all I am in your service,

Pushing myself to my grandest limits,

All for you and for my dream,

For everything I've wanted

Since I was fourteen.

I'm on my knees for you,

Begging you,

Please,

I need this.

I am nothing without you,

I hate how I need you.

How I chase after you.

How I grovel in your presence.

But I am yours, wholly and truly.

So please,

Make me the skin and bones I need to be.

Paranoid Plans

A paranoid man makes paranoid plans.

The first time I heard the phrase,

I thought of tinfoil hats

And homemade alarms rigged to notify me of intruders.

I thought of taping papers over cameras,

Disconnecting phone lines,

And only using payphones to make phone calls.

I thought of stuffing towels under doors,

Pinning blankets in front of windows,

And crossing out the eyes of photographs so they couldn't watch me.

When I thought of paranoid plans,

I never imagined checking over my shoulder four times every five minutes,

Or walking faster in public so they can't read my mind.

I never imagined setting my apps to French so the FBI and my family can't get into them,

Changing my passwords biweekly for my privacy,

Or being virtually unable to open up to anyone.

I never imagined laying in bed questioning if I have any friends,

Wondering if everyone I know is conspiring against me,

Or figuring out who will screw me over next.

I never imagined becoming someone who holds grudges,

Being someone who gets angry at even the thought of being slighted,

Or turning into the person who lies so that no one can sell my secrets.

I never imagined wondering if she wants me to get kidnapped,

If they're laughing at me, hoping I drop out and give up,

If he's trying to find a way to ruin my life, to get me arrested.

A paranoid man makes paranoid plans,

But his plans aren't always for himself.

Sometimes