"Oh Not So Great": Poems from the Depression Project

by Rob Taylor

A collection of 30 poems on depression, broken into nine sections: sadness, poor sleep, loss of interest, guilt, low energy, poor concentration, abnormal appetite, psychomotor retardation/agitation, and suicidality (known by the medical acronym SSIGECAPS). All of the poems are inspired by, or drawn from, the transcripts of group discussions between people living with severe depression.

"These poems are the result of a years-long project designed to create for physicians a doorway to empathy with patients who suffer from mental illness. As it turns out, they open that door wide for us all. Here are people speaking from deep within the isolating world of depression, their stories transformed into poetry by Rob Taylor’s considerable talents. From the heart-rending admission to a friend in the first poem (It’s the one gift / I do give you, every day / I don’t call), to the final lines (You walk alone / across the room, sit by the fire, / and wait there for the longest time), this collection unveils a reality lived by far too many people, one most of us don’t know how to handle — not when we experience it ourselves, not when loved ones are going through it. Read this book. It will help."

—Sandy Shreve, author of Waiting for the Albatross and Suddenly, So Much

Genres: Poetry

79 pages, Paperback

Published November 17, 2017

Reviews

[Meg · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is great for anyone who has ever been depressed. The poems are very authentic.

[Caitlyn C · Rating 5 out of 5]

My only gripe with this book is that I wish it was longer