Robert Benefiel

Depression, Bleakness, and Their Beautiful Faces Robert Benefiel

Depression, Bleakness, And Their Beautiful Faces is a new collection of poetry by the author and artist Robert Benefiel. The pieces that appear in this volume were produced over the course of 6 months and were reflective of the dark mood that the author had entered years ago. Used as a catharsis, the work tends to represent the negative spaces in the author's head without seeking either shame or apology. The very title of the book itself is meant to show the attraction one can have towards their own decimation, and the desperation one experiences once that attraction gets out of control. Understandably the author also recognizes that through the horrific parts of ourselves such as doubt, sadness, or depression we can also find new meaning and the potential to rend new identities from our old while creating hope, elation, and satisfaction without falsity. By publishing these works the author makes no attempt to hide their results from his own life or others, being straightforward in both admitting his repulsion and attraction to such elements. Whether identifying the alienation which causes one to be their own council, feeling disconnected from others, or becoming enthralled with destructive forces, the book never seeks to entirely glorify nor belittle the effects of these darker parts of us. Instead it tends to recognize that they are prevalent and possible within all of us, as we dangerously experiment with our emotions until we either control them, or they control us.