The Jumper

The Jumper

By Elton Camp

The elevator rose, but came to a stop
At the thirtieth floor, not quite the top

Roy stepped out into hotel’s hallway
Glanced right & left for the stairway

On the roof, he went to the very edge
Then walked onto a projecting ledge

The city was spread out far below
What Roy intended, we all know

Life had become too much to bear
Utter desperation bought him there

Since each day his sadness grew
With living, Roy was through

It was too much to continue to try
Thus, so far preferable for him to die

Great height seemed to pull him on
In only a few seconds, he’d be gone

No longer was he willing to hesitate
With resolution, he’d accept his fate

Roy leaped to embrace his dream 
Instead, from his lips, came a scream

Too late, his error he understood
He’d go back if only he could

As he plunged with increasing speed
Roy regretted that he had done the deed

Frustrations of life might have disappeared
Clarity of thought, as the pavement neared
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012

Poem

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Dietrich Avatar
December 22, 2012 at 5:57 PM
I really liked this. by putting it in third person, you could tell us his thoughts at the end. awesome.
Camp Avatar
December 22, 2012 at 7:00 PM
Thanks. This is very different from what I usually write. Suicide poems scare me, but I hope this one would perhaps discourage doing that. Roy realized he made a mistake, but too late. I left the horrid details of his death to the reader's imagination. Elton
Palli Avatar
December 22, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Wow! Well written!
Camp Avatar
December 22, 2012 at 12:22 PM
Hey Susan, I just now refined the wording a bit. Almost all jumpers who survive the plunge have reported that they wished they hadn't as soon as they started down. Perhaps this write will cause someone to stop and think. Elton
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