Oh No, Suicide
By Jehangir Saleh
Written:  April 6, 2003

it’s so easy
to write off
poetry about suicide

declare it a childish
silly, belligerent
passing phase
like early love
or homosexuality

but I pity you
who have never
sat alone, cornered
in your basement
pressed against silence
contemplating
the great logically
illogical act

foolishly
you will attempt
to quantify suicide –
an emotional oscillation
which cannot
be represented
by theories or equations
however non-linear
the urge
to kill oneself
is hidden, camouflaged
within the fierce
scribbles of a two-year-old
armed with a deep black
crayon;
the artist understands
while everyone else
sees a mess

perhaps your life
has been a long
hesitant suicide
gun loaded
knife readied at throat
while you strolled around
in a thick black ignorance

your life
as one hard, long
dark waxy line
that swivels off the page

did they forget
to tell you
your life support
has been unplugged?

at least I made
the decision
to unplug mine