After, by Tyler Kline

Tyler Kline is the author of the chapbook As Men Do Around Knives (ELJ
Editions, 2016). He lives in Pennsylvania where he teaches middle school
English and works on a vegetable farm in the summer. Visit him at
tylerklinepoetry.com.

About the poem:

I wanted to write a poem that addressed the unfortunate stigma attached to mental
health conditions; namely, those who take prescribed medications. I was interested
in describing my own experience and how sadly these conversations about mental
health occur behind closed doors when we should, as a society, be working to create
safe spaces for these types of discussions.