“The Sound of a Bell Still Reverberating” is a line from "The Bell and the Blackbird" by David Whyte. The poem resonates to me as as a metaphor for my relationship with mental health. At this point in my life, dealing with mental illness is a truth that doesn’t goes away, like a bell still reverberating. The many times I decided that I had conquered it or tried to ignore it, I always found myself falling back into self hatred and toxic patterns.
I still struggle with the stigma of taking medication and I’m still seeking a lifestyle that allows me to be free of it, but I challenge myself to talk about it and express it in my art so we can all break the stigma. The figure in “The Sound of a Bell Still Reverberating” stands in the midst of extreme highs and lows, unmasked, secure and unshakable. When honesty, self-care and self-protection are top priorities, we are all so much better equipped to brave the chaotic shitshow that often comes with mental illness.
"The Sound of a Bell Still Reverberating” is for sale as a silent auction item at La Chic Boutique. The bidding starts at $175 and 100% of the proceeds benefit the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) in Sandpoint. For more information regarding NAMI, you can check out there website here: https://www.namifarnorth.org
The Bell And The Blackbird
By: David Whyte
The sound
of a bell
still reverberating,
or a blackbird
calling
from a corner
of a
field.
Asking you
to wake
into this life
or inviting you
deeper
to on that waits.
Either way
takes courage,
either way want you
to be nothing
but the self that
is no self at all,
wants you to walk
to the place
where you find
you already know
how to give
every last thing
away.