Tuesday, February 21, 2017

Hannah's Choice

Hannah’s Choice
By Jeffrey Bowen

Hannah stood there high above
The campus parking lot. 
I'm sure she felt despair,
But no one knows quite why or when
She lost the will to care.

Maybe she had cared too much
And couldn't find a path to peace.
But something held her prisoner,
And troubling dreams
Refused to cease.

I lived too many worlds away.
There was nothing I could do.
We’d never met,
 She never heard
The words I wish she knew.

The papers said her suicide
Was considered very likely.
Her facebook page disclosed no clues.
Her life shone clear and brightly.

We look for causes,
 Seek some signs
When something dies inside a soul.
A happy life can fade away
When illness takes a psychic toll.

I surely wish that I had met you.
I feel so bad about your fate.
I see the promise in your smile,
I was just too late

If I had only had the chance
To help you face your fight,
At least together we'd have known 
Why you chose to take your flight.

3 comments:

  1. Hannah Cimon is this young woman's name. She was just 23, and had graduated last June with honors from the University of Tampa. She had graduated from Laconia High School, where she excelled as an athlete and was a sax player in the band.

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  2. Beautiful, both she, and your tribute poem. Depression and suicide are incidious ...Having crawled out of the depths of both, I know just to what degree it takes you to get you to the edge. There is no rhyme or reason...Only pain and despair. Awareness is key. And early intervention. Trained, dedicated psychologists in every highschool and middle school. And a reporting policy for those administrators (and peers) that suspect anything amiss. Well written Mr Bowen...Of course!

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    1. Your thoughts are really appreciated, Theresa. At Pioneer, after several suicides in a row occurred, Kay Kilburn and the counselors launched an awareness program. Things did calm down thereafter. But these tendencies are most likely seen every day in the schools. I am so glad you overcame your challenges! As for Hannah, there is some mystery surrounding her act, and I guess we will never know for sure.

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