The Jumper

Things You Told Me

 

On the subject of suicide, the most recent to fall told me he missed it.

The desire to end my life was the only thing that kept me going, he said.

  He had also missed the road and impaled himself on a signpost.

The words No Dumping protruded from his posterior.

If I had it to do over again, he said, I would...

 

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

makes me think of Lethal Weapon and Mel Gibson's character who constantly said...every day he wakes up with a gun in his mouth, and yet, every day he tries to think of a reason not to.
Anne Sexton in her poem "Wanting to Die"
spoke of how "like carpenters, they never ask why build, just what tools"

lots unspoken here that makes as much sense as what is written...a much deeper write than first meets the eye.
j.

[Apollos]

“The desire to end my life was the only thing that kept me going.”

The irony of such a statement. The power of relief even if it’s in destruction.

[Re-Pete]

what a way to go. cleverly deep, dark and funny. sometimes it's better not knowing, not asking why. we are all appointed one life and one death. what is our life worth?

reminds of quote by thoreau - "There is no value in life except what you choose to place upon it and no happiness in any place except what you bring to it yourself."

[Kathy Van Kurin]

'the jumper'
Christoph,
Finality of livingand one day it's end is reality for all. One born into this world with parents whom loved. We have a burden to the world to contribute, live and love even if we may not always like it. It is a sad state when one is not desirous to live, to love, to find meaning and can only think of how to unnaturally bring about death at one's own hand. It will come to us all either way. Suicide is a not a good thing and leaves many ripples around that life.
Blessings,
Kathy

[Einstein Noodle]

sheesh! brutal ... the sarcastic irony pointed .. damn! good stuff says i!
E.

[JR]

Hunter S Thompson said the only thing keeping him going was knowing that he could take his life at any time. This made me think of that quote... it seems once we're on to that, it our heads, it becomes the only focus. I think you did a good job highlighting that, and making it even more brutal given the irony of his end.

[Fran Marie]

suicide is suicide there a re no do overs.. Imo people who do.do the suicide do overs are repeated in their minds and tell everyone their plans ..and very seldom do the final dreadful deed of offing themselves..
I like the no dumping posterior ending..filled with a touch of humour

nice work

[NotUsinganymore]

Very interesting poem about a touchy subject.

[Mark Tisdale]

Brave to take a difficult subject and disarm the reader with humor, and brave is what a poet must be. This is a true slice of American prose poetry almost in the style of Russell Edson who is worthy of at least some respect.

I will come back to this later if I can but already there are hidden paths and meanings in here. Very much the right way to do morbid in prose and force one who reads it to think deeply.

[Linda Marie Van Tassell]

I really don't quite know what to make of this. Suicide is such a serious matter, and I guess I expected a serious poem. I'm on the fence … it's serious in one way, humor on the other, but not really. It's more like he regrets the end, wishing he were alive to continue in his efforts. I guess this is one of those "be careful what you wish for" moments.