Depression & Other Magic Tricks by Sabrina Benaim

"Depression & Other Magic Tricks" is a collection of poetry by Sabrina Benaim. Most of the poems regard her depression. One of the first poems in the collection is called "explaining my depression to my mother a conversation." I included a video of her performing this poem below. I found it to be really powerful. Her anxiety is palpable and the mood is tense.

This poem made me think about the different ways in which those with depression are affected by how their families/loved ones interact with them due to their depression. Sabrina's poem is about conversation with her mom about her depression. I found the poem to be quite sad. Her mom doesn't quite get it, but seems to want to help. She gives advice, but the wrong advice. You can tell she doesn't view depression as an illness or a disease, but as something that you get over, something you get over by lighting candles or going out. Her mom even says, "happy is a decision." I think that'd be really, really hard to hear. No one wants to be depressed. To say happiness is a decision implies that one is choosing to be sad instead of happy. 

This line really struck me: "i am sleepwalking on an ocean of happiness i cannot baptize myself in." 


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