Dorothy, I have lived with chronic depression and anxiety for most of my life. Add to this mixture, PTSD, since November 1974, after a very severe electrical burn to my mouth, which should have killed me. Still have the scars, both physically and emotionally, from that night. And yes, I had multiple surgeries to reduce the impact of the scarred tissue, on the outside of my mouth, but it's still visible.

As for being suicidally depressed, I haven't felt this way, since the holiday season of 2010-11, which is the last time, I attempted to take my life. This poem was written, in December 2011, during my annual fall/winter bout of depression, which starts at the beginning of November, and usually ends, about mid-March. Except for this year, my depression didn't depart like it normally does. As I am stuck, on a plateau that doesn't want to change.