In The Waiting Room

Let me introduce myself
My name is suicide
I live in the shadows
Just at the back of your mind
You’ll probably never meet me
Sometimes I'm on posters
Usually in your doctor’s waiting room
You may glance at me
Put me to the back of your mind
That continuous cough
Your main concern today
Sure you’ll get better soon
Now we come to the other guy
I’m at the forefront now
Doesn’t seem to be any alternatives
No introduction needed
No explanation required
Sometimes we have a trial run
Just to see
But really our mind is made up
The poster stares right at him
Taunting, asking what he’s thinking
What is he thinking
The same thoughts as yesterday
The day before yesterday
Today
Tomorrow
The cough would have responded to antibiotics
But it was never really about the cough.

Reviews

[emmajoy]

Life is hell for anyone living under the umbrella of fiilthy dark suicidal thoughts. Little or nothing blows away the brolly, the thoughts - or knots a mind can't unravel any more.

Those are my briefest thoughts on what you've written with keen but gently veiled empathy plus an urge to understand more. Perhaps.

No, 'never about the cough' .. but unspoken pleas for a learned man to notice this or that obvious symptom lurking in someone locked inside self. Hurts. Those posters are keen agitators in many ways, guiding you to a cinema: 'Come see what you see'. Trouble is suicide is real.. blazig bullets are not. Takes two hours to see a movie, takes a second for a bullet to..

Sorry, tis a topic that hits home for various reasons, not my own but close. You write with astounding clarity but ultra strong emotions. sighh

[Paul Bell]

I think now. Everybody will know someone who committed suicide. Usually the feeling at the time is.
They showed no signs. But I think that is the crux. You can't see in people's heads. Sorry if it brought bad stuff back.

[emmajoy]

Bad stuff lingers and should. Reinds us how fortunate we are when we complain of missing a bus, stubbing a toe or.. having a smaller bill than expected. And yes, few of us have been untouched by,, ,,, (Sorry, sorry, if i was too 'vocal'

[Paul Bell]

Not at all. Off to the football. Will catch your story later. Be good.

[Annette Pisano-Higley]

Deep, sinister, thought-provoking. We are confronted impersonally by posters, ads, etc. about suicide in waiting rooms, when watching tv, at bus stops- constantly it seems. Your excellent poem makes it very personal and almost confrontational. It needs to be that to heighten awareness and sensitivity to signs and symptoms.Kudos!

[Paul Bell]

I just realised one day, as i was out and about.
There just seemed to be a lot of posters on suicide.
All of them aimed at young people. Sad times.

[Marina]

That's why I avoid waiting rooms. I either barge in or don't go at all. Worst case, I'll die from something else lol

[Marina]

All jokes aside, that's a really intense one you wrote there Paul.

[Paul Bell]

You'll die when eddie falls on top of you from a high height. Sort of wrote this at the docs. For some reason he wanted blood. Really don't know why he doesn't use his own.

[Marina]

I was going to make a vampire joke, but it's too obvious. Any chance he smuggles it out of the country? if it's good money, count me in

[barleygirl]

I don't go to the doctor much so I've never seen such a poster . . . I guess all that waiting really tweaks your mind some, does it? Many of your comments are too true, altho stated as satire. It's refreshing to read good irony instead of the many dreary suicidal thoughts often shared here! *wink! wink!* Fondly, Margie

[Paul Bell]

Strangely enough Margie, I usually try and avoid the doctors like the plague. Was forced to go. The poster was the first thing i saw.

[Mirror]

"Sometimes we have a trial run
Just to see"

Of course, no introduction needed. Almost unwelcome visitor, in fact.

[Paul Bell]

Probably why i never visit them.

[Mirror]

Please don't. :)

[AYVID N]

Really we don't need disasters and diseases. We have our own internal, home grown killers. Which makes most of humankind, including me, very very sick. Death is then just a natural and in fact a positive outcome of the stink and negativity we ourselves put through. A powerful, telling write Paul.

(But that doesn't mean you put me on the poster!)

[Paul Bell]

C'mon DIVYA. You could have saved the guy.

[AYVID N]

For a good fees, perhaps I could have but I'm not a certified medical professional. ;(

[Paul Bell]

Excuses, excuses.