I am not afraid of the devil
I have looked him in the eye
I met with him quite recently
Through the cold night air we did fly
He was my constant companion
When I was forgotten by everyone
I did not choose to invite him
He turned up, and inside he did come
He wrapped his tender arm around me
And made me feel less alone
He told me I could get what I wanted
And sat me on his fiery throne
He made me feel so secure
And he stopped me feeling sad
But the consequences of this were
I was now totally mad
Don’t get me wrong, I like being here
There are plenty of others like me
Giving up our sanity to him
And being just as afraid of as he
A reflection on how mental illness was sometimes thought to be the work of the devil.