Bipolar Bride
Hide the knives it would be wise for you and your fucking bipolar bride
Her illness seeps into her brain, a smile reserved for the insane, she throws her eyeballs down the drain
Crazy is as crazy comes and goes, her freckles dripping from her nose, the devil sawing off her toes
Is it imagination or disease, that has her mumbling, begging please, tortured by monsters you can’t see
She wants to cut off her head to stop the chatter, and you say “darling, what’s the matter?” even though you heard the splatter
A greedy wink, a perfect pout, drool and blood leaking from out her mouth
She covers her insanity, “oh come with me, my sweet sweetie, without you where would I be?”
What a charming cut of creature, you lift your fingers and stretch out to meet her, on your tip toes trying to reach her
You step inside with arms open wide but oh wait here’s the big surprise
She tugs and tears and rips you apart, slicing away at your beating heart, was she crazy from the start?
She used to be a sweet sane angel but that was never truly her angle, her mind has always been sharp and painful
What deceit! What trickery! She was always mad, mad as can be, and lucky you, you set her free
She grabs your arm and starts to cry, and you can’t help but wonder why you bought her insidious and vicious lie
There isn’t much that you can do, lock her in a ward or two, and forget about her for a few
If you were me and I were you I know exactly what I’d do to rid the world of this batshit loon
Give her back her trusty knife and say goodbye to your crazy wife who ruined your entire goddamn life
And she will probably do her best, to push the knife into her chest, and then you and I and the world can finally rest
Dr. Rachel Kallem Whitman is an educator, advocate, and writer who has been shacking up with bipolar disorder since 2000. Rachel is an adjunct professor who teaches courses on unpacking ableism (disability oppression) and her speeches, interviews, and writings on the topic have garnered acclaim locally in her hometown of Pittsburgh, PA, across the United States, and internationally. Her debut book, “Instability in Six Colors,” paints a vivid picture of what it is like living with chronic mental illness, trauma, and a complicated relationship with sanity, safety, and suicide. Rachel’s mission and passion is to create a safe community to empower individuals to look beyond their illness to find themselves. You can buy this bipolar narrative through One Idea Press, a woman-owned independent press based out of Pittsburgh, PA, as a paper copy or ebook. For more of her work please be sure to check out Rachel’s website seebrightness.com and visit her Medium page.
