As The Seasons Change

“As the Seasons Change” is written from the perspective of someone struggling with mood changes that match the changing of the seasons as we head into the colder, darker months of the year. Touching on the subject of seasonal depression, this piece centers around the way the weather can impact mental health and genuinely affect how you feel about yourself and the world around you. Personally, I’ve always found it gets a little bit harder to get up and out of my bed when it’s cold and dark outside, as well as find motivation to leave the house or get some movement in during winter. Turning that feeling into words ended up resulting in this piece, something I turn to whenever I need a reminder that seasons change and nothing, even the weather, lasts forever.

I’m greeted in the morning

By sunlight filtering through my blinds

Lines of light scattered across cool gray walls and crisp white sheets

Bringing warmth to my face and colour to my cheeks

Whilst the birds sing their sunrise songs

And the ocean waves crash in the background

My heart swells and my spirits feel lifted

As I throw off the covers and greet the day with a smile on my face

I am ready to begin anew.

The air smells of falling leaves and cinnamon spice

As I wake up to the sounds of the coffee machine brewing downstairs

And the promise of fresh air and cozy knit sweaters

The cooling temperature brings.

I see a shadow lingering around the corner

But ignore its outstretched hand

As I slip on my boots and walk out into the coloured trees.

The weather’s turning colder as the days get shorter

And darkness creeps up earlier each day

The sunlight’s appearances are now few and far between

And the birds are silent as they seek shelter from the wind

The shadows are always lurking

Their presence now a constant embrace

My eyes feel heavier now

And I’m not sure why.

The snow now covers the trees

Suffocating them with its crystals

Frost coats my window

Sealing me in from the outside world

As I huddle beneath a pile of fur and flannel

The weight on my chest feels heavier now

The world leeched of colour as winter has come in swirls of white and gray.

I no longer want to greet the day anew

Instead, I stay here in the comfort of my cocoon

Patiently waiting until spring sets me free

By lifting the weight off my chest and the strain from my eyes

As I’m greeted in the morning

By sunlight filtering through my blinds.

Illustration: Sydney Hanson