struggle

yesterday's class involved

serving the suicide caller

if you know me

you may suspect that I have met this issue

a time or two before

some days I looked it in the mirror

 

there was real struggle

on several faces around the room

everybody reneged on last night's plans

nobody felt like playing games

being social

 

I wandered off

sat at the lake

watched the water in the lake

placid and blue-green

and wandered back to sit

in my room

 

the pied piper of somewhere

wandered down the hall with a guitar

and we all followed

sang songs for a couple of hours

make a joyful noise

is sometimes the best therapy

 

and after the pied piper

and all the merry girls disappeared

back down the hall

two very real conversations

snuck up on me

out of the blue

 

it will take some time

to digest all the information

sometime after midnight

a text came to my phone

with the message

"be still, and know that I am God"

 

my job may be to rescue the perishing

but there is someone who will rescue me

 

 

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

wow, this is heavy....dealing with that all the time has to be taxing, while at the same time rewarding for those who can be saved...but doing so much saving from suicide can certainly get to us and bring us down to that abyss sometimes...thank goodness there is one who might return the favor and rescue us. i liked how you used the modern day text to relate to the one who saves the speaker...

[kmartell]

My goodness this is good!

[Emily B]

and here I've been thinking that my voice was lost :)

[Southern_Writes]

We are only human and our strength alone is not enough to help us survive and thrive. sometimes all we need is love and support from those around us, but nothing beats the strength the lord offers.

[paul sal.....]

I have always wondered if struggling minds were aware that there's were not the only ones

[Beccy]

This is such a good poem; well, actually more than just a poem. It explores the inner recesses of the mind in a way that brings an understanding to reader of how it must be for some.

'be still, and know that I am God,' there is love eternal in that line.

Beccy.

[Crowley]

Man...that is wonderfully written and as heavy as it gets. That last stanza packs a beautiful punch. There is something special about those who help, especially in these circumstances and at great personal emotional risk. Great job.

[Elizabeth]

I have always found great comfort in the scripture, "Be still and know that I am God". The last two lines are haunting. Thank you.

[W.k.kortas]

This is a very stark piece of work, for sure--but it is also as gutsy a piece of work as I have read as well.