Written piece
Sad Songs Never Left Me
Emediong Udoka
Nigeria
About this piece
Music is therapeutic. The words carry healing that the mind needs.
People go through a lot, and at the end of the day, music becomes the only relatable friend;the one that never judges, never leaves, and always knows exactly what you need to hear.
The lines are so therapeutically soothing
For some time, I forgot I was hurting
My mental health became the least of my worries
The power of emotions and words turned into music
Giving me the answers and solutions to all I seek
Music brings rare happiness and comfort to all
Depression creeps in when life can't be enthralled
Turning to music because that's the nearest therapist
With each broken cord, a prayer exists
Played by the hands of a soloist
Before the words come in, the chord does
Dopamine announces itself and erases the inner thoughts
Twenty minutes become just enough to forget what "heavy" means
That's because this strange musician is already celebrating what's not real yet
I didn't need to be in a ward or in that building reeking of drugs
No experience of side effects except that I remember every single line
Studies cannot explain why a song can do what a stranger can never do
They told me it was recreational therapy
But I was in my car late at 2am with the volume all the way up
Sad songs became the friend I never had
Sat with me on the floor through sincere honesty
That curated playlist of happy songs on my Spotify
Doesn't even know I exist or know my name
Feels like everything I've been through and always on repeat
Somewhere in my nucleus accumbens
A tiny, ancient part of me predates language
Predators, grief, all of this starts to move
And that's the cure-
not the silence after.
But it's all the music
During.