awareness – valerieparente

The Very Real Reality by Valerie Parente

I talk openly about my mental health
in the hopes that it helps
the people who have a hard time with words
who need a voice that understands the hurt.
These themes revolve around love and loss
and how it replays in obsessive thoughts.
To some it may not seem pretty
but a light needs to be shined on OCD
instead of just ridiculed and teased
because this is the very real reality.
These are not personal attacks, they’re symptoms of a mental disorder
it’s not commentary on anybody except the sufferer.
I pray you can separate yourself from my mental health journey and find solace in this truth,
that when it comes down to brain chemistry, this has nothing to do with you.
You deserve to lead a life that is happy and free
but please, don’t look for that through me.

– Valerie Parente (8-21-2020)

Old Soul by Valerie Parente

You think I was born yesterday
Because of all the things I don’t say
In a sense, yes, I’m inexperienced
But don’t mistake innocence with ignorance
We all have a third eye, the mind’s spy
Sometimes it’s best to pretend mine is blind.

I haven’t made the same memories as you
But the memories I’ve made give me a clue
It’s something called empathy, you learn as you live
Based on our own journey we learn what to give
And I’m giving off a vibe that I don’t recognize the signs
While I’m laughing inside because I’ve lived the same lie.

No I wasn’t born yesterday
I’m just an old soul in this new age
Recalling what it means to be human
Through a lens focused on how you’ve been
The question isn’t if I understand your side
The question is why do I still try.

Felicia