A quintet of healing poems
For Sarah
Dead Man Hanging… A Black Poem
“How Dare You” Great Anger
Dead Man’s Hair… Turning Point
Shining Inside and Out Light and Healing
Instead of a Rope or a Gun A Poem of Hope
Author’s Note…
While out walking – Sarah came across a man who had just
committed suicide! This happened 25 years before I heard
the story and wrote these poems. She had carried her anger,
grief, hurt and sadness – in her heart, for all of this time!
Dead Man Hanging…
From a tree in a forest,
It could have been
A bad, bad dream –
But your number
Was on his bullet,
You were the first
On the scene!
Frantic moments to save him –
Could you make him live?
Too heavy to lift…
Found an axe,
But the harder you hit –
The more the rope
Would give.
All the whisky – you drank
In the bath that night,
And all the soapy water,
Couldn’t drown him –
Or wash him away!
He just stepped off
That ute,
Straight into your life…
Like an uninvited guest,
Just hanging around,
Unwanted –
And forever,
To stay.
How Dare You…
You bastard!
When you put that noose
Around your neck –
You pulled that
Horrible thing,
Tight, around my heart…
You bastard!
If I had lifted
A little bit harder,
Or if the axe
Had been a little bit sharper…
Perhaps,
Just perhaps,
I could have saved you.
I tried so hard,
I so much wanted
To make you alive –
It goes around
And around
In my head…
I’m just so,
So very angry,
I can’t even wish
You were dead!
Dead Man’s Hair…
But
You knew
In your heart,
That he was dead –
Before you came.
You saw his hair,
Blowing in the wind.
Like dead sheep’s wool,
A dead man’s hair
Never blows the same.
Shining Inside and Out!…
On one still,
Beautiful, starry
Starry night,
I would pluck ten
Of the brightest stars –
From our magical
Australian sky,
And place them
In two perfect circles,
Around your hurting heart.
This is
My gift to you.
So that wonderful
Outward glow…
That we have all come
To love and know,
Will always shine
Just as brightly –
On your
Inside too.
Instead of a Rope or a Gun.
There is a learning
From this story,
Which I struggle
To impart,
But if our men
Are feeling suicidal –
They should know,
That they just can’t solve
Their problems
By dropping their
Deadly bundle…
Straight into
Someone else’s,
Precious heart!
Even in darkness,
There is always hope –
Which springs eternal,
As after night,
Comes the rising sun,
And there is always
Someone to reach out to,
Instead of
A rope or a gun.
Tim Barritt. 13.4.07.
Earth Angel 181
