THE GREAT MAGICIAN, BY SAMI SCHOFF

I am a great magician, my greatest trick? My great vanishing act! You can watch as I disappear before your very eyes! First I get smaller..my smile gets smaller, my voice gets smaller.. I pull into myself. The less there is of me the easier it is! 

Next is the lights! The ones in my room, the ones in my eyes. The duller something is, the less likely you are to look. Shiny things attract attention.

Next I stay in bed for a day or so. You'll get used to not seeing me, another important part of the trick! If you don't expect to see something, you won't. It's harder to find something you're not looking for. 

And then Poof! I'm there, and nobody can see me. Invisible right in front of your eyes, because I'm not really there. I am still in bed. Just an empty shell of a body walking around and nobody can even see! An illusion of a person!

It's a great trick! What's the name of my marvelous magical act? It's called after its name sake of course! 

The great Depression.

- Sami Schoff

*Note from Stephanie: At an open mic night I was attending for a dear friend of mine, one of the other acts read original poetry and I just loved this particular poem she had written.  I could really identify with it and I just knew others in the pelvic pain community would, too.  Many people suffering from persistent genital, sexual and pelvic pain conditions (including myself) experience depression and anxiety. "Pain" and "Fatigue" are other fitting ends to the poem as well. Thanks to Sami for allowing me to share her poem!