John Michaels Poet Free verse

Suicide Prevention

You must be in so much pain to be considering this.
The hurt, the misery, the anguish, the agony;
you can feel it burrowing its way deep inside,
gnawing voraciously at the very core of your being
and you would do anything - anything - just to make it stop.

I know you're scared; but that's okay - the World can be a scary place,
but can this last, desperate, act that you're deliberating,
really, truly, genuinely be what you are seeking...?
Dispel fanciful notions of sliding into Death's warm embrace;
there is no gentle kiss, no sweet release and off to sleep.
You will simply... no longer be; and that is just too dreadful to contemplate.

It might not feel like it now, but things *will* get better.
The future is laden with hope and ripe with potential,
however, the complex rivulets of life are often turbulent
and we must ride them out if we are to reach the next bend.
But if you take this final, irrevocable, step... you will never know what awaits.
And therein lies the real tragedy.

So please, I implore you, reach out to a friend or a loved one;
talk to them, share your burdens and, maybe, even shed a few tears.
The future will look brighter tomorrow and I want you there to see it.

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15 September 2017

Written for Suicide Prevention Month.

My thoughts go out to all those affected by the tragedy of losing a loved one in this way and, especially, to those struggling with their own thoughts of suicide.  Please... speak to somebody.

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Diane Perna February 4, 2024 at 7:12 PM Thank you so much for writing this. I know it will help others who feel this way. Great work!

Michelle Smith January 31, 2024 at 6:48 PM reasons2live.org

Paul Callus October 28, 2017 at 1:38 PM Excellent, John. A plea such as this, coming from the heart, will surely tempt one to stop, listen and reconsider. Regards // paul John Michaels October 30, 2017 at 5:22 PM Thanks very much, Paul. I appreciate your kind comments. All the best. Regards, John.

Andrea Dietrich September 24, 2017 at 7:43 PM A fave on this one. HOpefully it will be read by many others! John Michaels October 30, 2017 at 5:21 PM Thanks, Andrea!!

Andrea Dietrich September 22, 2017 at 5:46 PM I sure hope this made the winners' list . Gosh, John, this is very well thought out and pondered and your message is excellent. Soupmail. John Michaels September 23, 2017 at 4:14 AM Thank you for the kind comments. Unfortunately my poem didn't place in the contest, but it's more important that I wrote it - and hopefully that others read it. All the best, John.

Eve Roper September 15, 2017 at 2:37 PM Nicely done, John, I wish they will seek help, instead of a final no coming back out . Hugs Eve John Michaels September 16, 2017 at 9:19 AM You're so right, Eve. It's just such a tragedy when the gift of life becomes a painful burden and these poor souls see no other way out... Thank you for your kind comments. Regards, John.