The December 2024 edition of Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International – features a moving piece by a psychiatrist, poet and pianist about loss and the healing quality of poetry and music.

Tope Ogundare, is a Nigerian-trained psychiatrist and current chief resident and schizophrenia fellow at Boston Medical Center, USA.

It was March 15, the fall semester of my master’s in public health. I was in my flat’s kitchen, preparing a meal—a small comfort in a foreign land: basmati rice, fried plantain, and tomato stew. My world was about to shatter with the news of my mother’s death.  I found myself rolling on the cold floorboards of a rented house, stricken by grief. Each movement eased the pain, but not for long. I wanted to leave my body to become air and expand to contain the vastness of the grief that engulfed my soul.

My mother was dead, and I was a ship caught in a tempest—knocked off course, splintered, and scattered on tumultuous waves. Marooned on an uninhabited island. I was lost to that deep sorrow for a long time, adrift and unable to find solid ground. It wasn’t until songs sung in my mother’s voice pierced my sorrow, shining light into my darkened heart, that I began to find my way back home.

I turned to poetry and music, writing furiously what would become my third poetry collection—The Grief Diary. Under the frenzy of my forlorn fingers, the piano keys unlocked a world where emotions flowed freely, unrestrained by words.

Each note was a brushstroke on the canvas of silence, telling tales of a lost soul drifting and seeking an anchor. I have found that music is not merely an art form; it is a lifeline, a balm for the soul, and a mirror reflecting the depths of the human psyche. There is a profound connection between music and mental health. When I sit at the piano, time dissolves, and the world’s worries fade. In this sacred space, I confront my mental health challenges. A gentle melody soothes the restless mind, while a powerful crescendo releases pent-up emotions, offering a much-needed catharsis.

There is a song for every emotion, a melody that captures each feeling. Sometimes, notes become conduits of escape, shuttling the mind into the stratosphere, offering a perspective that brings the magnitude of the problem into scale. Music is the soul’s language, a universal tongue known intimately from the first breath. It soothes, heals, and reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit. Even in our darkest hours, a melody is waiting to be discovered, a harmony that can bring light to our souls.

As an artist, I am honoured to be a conduit for this healing force, using the universal language of music to address the complexities of mental health. Through each note and every melody, I strive to offer a glimmer of hope—a reminder that even in our bleakest moments, there is a way through the darkness.

Welcome to Muses – the arts blog from BJPsych International. This new blog aims to highlight international art and artists, particularly from low-and-middle-income countries, with a focus on mental health. We welcome submissions for consideration, such as, comments on artwork, visual arts, literature, drama, films, podcasts, and videos. Do have a look at the instructions for blog authors for details on how to submit. General enquiries about the blog: BJPInternational@rcpsych.ac.uk

Dr Marinos Kyriakopoulos, Editor-in-Chief, BJPsych International.