Lady Melancholy
Melancholy – my oft felt life companion – just putting your name to paper eases the sting you bring.
You come to tell me staleness is in the air – creativity is feeling stifled. Busy-ness and scattered brain has pushed away action and focus.
Melancholy, here again telling me action is needed.
A time to set intention is at hand.
Trust is called upon.
Melancholy, a friend who really doesn’t want to stay long, just wanting to pass through.
She moves with grace. She has flowing robes and elegance. Wispy, sheer gown of moroon.
She brings a gift, like a fragrance.
A gentle reminder to keep moving.
She doesn’t want to be cuffed or chained.
She is a traveler on the winds.
A friend.
Poetry
It helps me to write things down. I get things off my chest that way. Understand myself a little more. Shift energy. Heal.
Recently I felt that familiar feeling, Melancholy, come to me again. I sat with the feeling and located it in my body. I really felt it and asked it some questions. How old are you? Are you male or female? What do you want to tell me?
I uncomfortably stayed with the sensations. I cried and allowed the difficult feelings to come.
My body wanted to move forward, so I went with a forward rocking motion. The sensation shifted and I had a vision (outlined in the poem Lady Melancholy). I saw Melancholy as a part of me, rather than an enemy to be battled against. I saw this sensation as a young woman, one of my many parts. I journaled and I sketched. I used some of the tools I have gathered over time through my life journey. I felt blocked emotions release and energy shift within me. Relief came.
There has been countless times in my life when Melancholy visited and I held her captive, rather than listening to her message to get up and move and take responsibility for myself. Pushing her into the shadows made way for depression and feeling helpless. Here my unloved inner child part felt totally overwhelmed and abandoned.
Overtime I have learnt ways that help me work with my emotional states. Even though it can feel very uncomfortable at times, I continue the inner work of welcoming all parts of me as my truth. This is deep soul work. It’s also great for my health and my happiness! It’s totally worth the pain.
The process outlined above can be understood through the lens of Somatic Internal Family Systems. If you are interested in some heavy reading on the subject I can recommend Somatic Internal Family Systems Therapy by Susan McConnell.