The Red Apple

For Mental Health Awareness Week (9-15 May 2022) around the theme of loneliness, we’re sharing a series of poems about loneliness written by members of our Creative Writing Groups.

This poem written by Sasha likens loneliness to biting into a red apple with anticipation but not tasting anything or getting any joy out of it.

“Loneliness is an emptiness, like eating a beautifully red and juicy apple, on a warm summer’s day, when you’re tired and hungry.

You look forward to its firm smooth texture and its cold, refreshing crispness, but as you bite, you feel no pressure, as your lips and teeth curl around the skin and break into the flesh, no syrupy juice flowing, caressingly over your tongue, no sticky nectar escaping, coursing down your chin.

You bite and eat again, anticipating that it will change, you can see the interaction between you and the disappearing flesh of the apple, but there is no connection, no satisfaction, no sating of hunger or joy of pleasure.

As you look down as its now naked core, you know you partook of something delicious, but you felt nothing, and hope, as always, that maybe next time you’ll be able to enjoy its sweetness.”

Want to blog for us?

If you’d like to write a blog or create a video blog for us, a poem, a song or a piece of art, you don’t have to be an expert at it, we can coach you through it or you’re welcome to submit your own, whether it was created in private or at one of the activities we run! Just get in touch with Connie, our Communications Lead, at connie@maryfrancestrust.org.uk

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