Thoughts about mental Illness

I met a chap in hospital who thought he was a Bengal Tiger.
He didn't really expound on this so I left him purring in the TV room...

It made me think that I'm now going to see my condition as an angry lion.
This Lion has entered my home and attacks me, talks to me and he hurts me whenever he sees fit.
I've asked him to leave, wrestled with him, but this just angers him more and i end up getting wounds.
He's taken up residence and he's not paying rent.

I was naked in fighting him and he hurt me good.
Though he taught me to lick my wounds and I've now managed to armor myself up, learning to tame him.
The more i show him he's welcome, he retires.
I think he's ironically trying to protect me, so I love him really and want to show him compassion.

I hope over time he will calm, show me his soft side, his purpose, i will be able to ride him and tickle his belly, all this violence behind us.
When he's tame i will take off my armour and ride him into the sunset.
At which point we will have some kind of man/lion metamorphosis and he will become the lion within...