Suicide Awareness Day.

I'm a day late. I didn't think up this post however until right now.

I'm sitting in my dual credit class (college class + high school class) and I had finished everything on Blackboard so I thought I'd work on some English work. Well I had to read two poems, annotate, and then answer questions.

The poems were The Ballad of Birmingham by Dudley Randall and Suicide's Note by Langston Hughes. The first one is just depressing and heart breaking about losing a child in the Birmingham church bombing. Not relevant to this post really, other than it already sets up the tone to be sad. The other poem though, Suicide's Note, is (shocking) relevant. I'd like to share it for a moment:
"The calm,
Cool face of the river
Asked me for a kiss."*

My "love" mark is still on my wrist from yesterday, and after reading this poem I just really had to stop and think. I've been listening to a lot of MayDay Parade lately, and that music is just like the most depressing music ever. (Good music, good band, yes, another post for another time however. Maybe later tonight.) I haven't been happy, and now is a good time to evaluate it as any isn't it?

I'm not saying I'm going to go kill myself. Let's take that off the table right now ha. But just think, you have felt sad haven't you? And people like you and me find resort in music. And poetry. And artsy things that no one else really can truly understand. Imagine feeling that sad that none of the things that comfort you work. Would the river ask you for a kiss? Would you kiss it back?

How upset do you have to be? Who pushes you there?

The anti-bullying talk is a little worn out by now, but in all seriousness, as someone who feels pain, other's pain, and sees pain all over, I am going to beg and plead for you to be the helping hand, not the hurtful push. No one should ever have to feel like they aren't good enough and no one should not have a resort. We all should be able to escape somewhere, whether it be music or painting or writing... it should be there. If you need help, all of the ways to reach me are here on this blog. I can help as much as I can.

Just don't be a statistic. Don't be a part of the reason we need a day like yesterday. You are beautiful. You are special. You matter; your story matters.


I feel as if I just preached to the wrong crowd, but I preach anyway. You can never be reminded enough. I love every single one of you who read my blog, and I really want to just say thank you for helping me make this something. Without you, I'd just be a girl with a computer.

Have a great day guys, and remember you are loved.

*Found in Perrine's Sound and Sense: An Introduction to Poetry Eleventh Edition by Thomas R. Arp and Greg Johnson