When someone says the word "suicide" our minds fixate
On the idea of the grieving family.
The ice cold tears skating down the mother's cheek,
Siblings that have lost their older brother.
The father holding his fists tight onto the tomb that his
Daughter now calls home, he doesn't want to let her go...
A grandmother who breathed her last breathe without
Her grandson by her bedside,
and a new born who just missed the opportunity of meeting their daddy.

We always fixate on the family.

When someone says the word "suicide" our minds fixate
On the idea of the horrific death in detail.
The scarlet gashes that lace down a butchered arm,
Or a lifeless corpse hanging from a ceiling.
We imagine a bottle of vodka and pills for company
As a depressed teenager greets her death.
A young boy of only 10 who jumps in front of
a loud menace on tracks, or a old man who hashes his throat just to see his wife again.
We think of all the ropes, the blood and the pills.

We always fixate on the death.

When someone says the word "suicide", our minds fixate
On it not succeeding.
About the pale blue hospital walls that many
Have to look at for weeks.
Having to explain why to your sobbing family
When you cannot even wrap your head around it yourself.
The raised,purple scars that cover your arms,
The ones that you thought you didn't need to worry about.
Or the agony of trying to get out of bed after a seizure
Caused by overdose on prescription pain killers.
About the teenagers who have to spend years In therapy,
trying to stay alive and not try it again.
Of how their family never looking at them the same,
And never trust them alone in case they harm themselves.
The anger that their parents will feel that their
Child didn't talk to them?

We always fixate on suicide attempts.

When someone says the word "suicide" our minds
Never fixate on stopping it.
We see all of the warning signs...
Yet we don't want to get involved.
We all know about how devastating suicide is...
Yet we have enough problems of our own to care.
We all know when someone is suicidal...
We all know...
Yet we are too scared to ask "are you okay?"

We always focus on how bad taking your own life Is when it happens, and all of the effects on their family and friends
But if only we put the same energy into trying to
Prevent it from happening...
Maybe I wouldn't be saying the word "suicide" as much...