catch me on the comedown
brought on by indecision’s fate
the thief who stole my precious time
won’t get very far with it
look longer at my tattered face
if you think you can handle spying
the sight of lost memories
wrapped up in a stranger’s tired gaze
distortions always seem to go
in the positive direction
but my flight is on a downward spiral
so heaven help the one who’d follow me there
catch me on the comedown
if only to hear my voice
solemn, quiet, low and frightened
though it might shake you to your core
catch me on the comedown
if only to hold my hand
and sing along with crying angels
whose broken wings look a lot like mine
they’ll pass right through the most fiery things
and tear you up if you aren’t careful
be wary all the way down, my friend
and don’t you even dare look up
I know, none of this is much fun at all
and the people seem so sour
but sit near me as I question what I did
to land in such a wretched place
Garbage Notes:
This poem is about being there for someone when they’re not at their best. It’s about loving them even when they’re not at their peak. It’s about accepting them and cherishing them as a person even if they are in decline.
No one wants to be a part of someone else’s tragedy. I know that. We all know that. It’s hard to admire someone when they’re at their worst. But when it comes to people, I think we need to see them for more than what they are at just one point in time.
Sometimes I wish we had four-dimensional goggles so that we can see the entire temporal spectrum of who a person is. So in one moment of strain we can still appreciate them for who they are at their best and frame their worst up against the context of all that might have happened to them, while also having the foresight to see all they can still become.
Catch me on the comedown means see a person when their tumbling. It means don’t judge them harshly for what they’re going through, but look at what you can do to lessen their pain. It’s Christ falling for the third time. It’s the grammy winner who’s had an overdose. It’s the person who’s just lost someone they love. It’s the person who’s in the hospital after a terrible accident and will never be the same.
Sometimes we’re down because we’ve been persecuted. Sometimes we’re down because we’ve fucked up. Made a bad decision. Got mired in indecision. Trusted the wrong person. Listened to the wrong friends. Were born in the wrong place. Witnessed the wrong things.
Not all comedowns are the fault of the fallen. But even if they are, they deserve to be helped back up. That’s what we do as human beings. We love and we are patient.
Looking back on it, this poem might have been partially inspired by the Bush song Comedown. Particularly the title and the chorus. There’s imagery of fallen angels. Themes about shame and blame. About experiencing euphoria and then dealing with strong emotional fallout. About coming down from a high place and then being back on the ground and looking around to see what’s left. To see who’s left.
I wrote the poem years ago. I wrote it at a low point. I’ve come back quite a bit from what was happening to me then. But I’m also older now and I know life is full of ups and downs. We hang on the best we can and we keep our eyes forward.
Franco Amati 2023
It's a rare thing to find someone who will spend time with you when you are in pain. It's a rare blessing for someone to show you the extent of their own pain and to allow you just to sit with them and support them. Somehow the world got all twisted with 'positivity' and we are ashamed of our pain.
loving this reflection on supporting someone when they're down. Beautiful lines.
"catch me on the comedown
if only to hold my hand
and sing along with crying angels
whose broken wings look a lot like mine"