Aarthy Iyengar
The murmur of the Heart
Introduction: It is high time that the stigma around illnesses, especially mental health concerns vanish. It’s the shame created by the stigma that makes one suffer alone in self-hate. Also, more power to the people who have come forward with their healing stories, you have touched people’s life who see themselves in you.
To me, she has always been this bundle of joy,
Enthusiastic and happy, all the time
Then when I saw myself, bothered
Sad and worried…
Worried about weaknesses
Ashamed of things, not my fault
Or not under control.
Ashamed of this “Murmur in the heart”
My illness...
But one day she opened up,
Talking about her own heart
Still as happy, as confident!
I heard her to the astonishment
How she owns herself
While I, for all these years have
Hidden and run.
Then the layer of shame lifted
All the anguish was not the illness
Instead the stigma and shame
That ruled the head
It is not the murmur of the heart,
To be blamed.
It is the chatter of the mind.