Sucide Cliff

       "SUICIDE CLIFF"

Michael Ashby Poems
"Suicide is preventable. We ask that if you are despairing that you contact a crisis center. Many people have found that talking helps to alleviate painful suicidal thoughts and feelings.
We ask you to continue helping us making a difference in the lives of those at risk of suicide."
A message from the President Of The International Association For Suicide Prevention (IASP) Professor Ella Arensman of University College Cork on IASP’s web page.
"I am sharing my poem in support of World Suicide Prevention Day (WSPD) on September 10th organised by the IASP." Michael A.


Mad words, bad words
Fled, sped through brain
Talking up a mental storm
Sowing, growing again
Poking, stoking a last lightening bolt
Exploding a chamber, in an unsound colt
Raining, draining
Words, energy all around
As the skeleton smiled sweetly
At the closing ground
Faster, faster
The dancing man swirled
Twirling balletically
For the ghoulish world
Shouting, pouting
At the spinning mop top
Bloody hell! he's jumped
It's a hell of a drop
Floating above gloating
He soared as they roared
Losing a mind's pain
From an Earthling's brain
Flying with yellow beaked angels
Hang gliding into new birth
Gravity racing, sand embracing
To kiss the advances of the surf
Sun bleached bones, caressing cockles
Massaging mussels, in salty, sparkling brine
Distant dreams of becoming a fossil
An exhibit from a happier time
And the rain fell to dwell
On the bloody pulp of hell
Down, down, down on the ground
Once so perfect, once so round
Now so flat, now so still
The crowd gasped its last
As the night swallowed its beach-kill
But, there would be no fluttering police tape today
To keep the rubber necked back from the affray
No black holed, black glazed, spooky van
No undertaker's magic on an invisible man
No sunken faced lifeboat crew
No coastguard van bedecked in blue
No unemployed ambulance man
No helicopter scything sea air, with its fan
For a samaritan up on the cliff path
Had saved the dying day
A glowing lady up on the cliff path
Fleetingly smiled his way
Bringing warmth through stubble
To anchor human rubble
In safe harbour for now
No, no, no cliff top prow
Back crossing the seafront road a picture stared
Knees buckled, as his old soul was bared
Missing person - have you seen this man?
Oh, dear God, how he missed that man
Hooting, tooting, people shouting in vain
Ambulance man's arm, cranking up the merry-go-round, again