Walk down that never-ending hallway
You can hear the cold tap of your shoes against the patterned green and white linoleum tile
Remember not to make a sound
Or they'll pull you down into their little hole
And you won't come back out
Inside your heart you can hear
Screams, ripping from the torn throats of injured animals
They only wish in this madness to be freed
Some will be destroyed
But are they the ones who die or the ones who live?
Sometimes it is hard to tell
Darkness descends upon your soul
As you watch the animals and hear their screaming
One was once familiar
But he is unrecognizable now
The light is gone from his eyes and his soul no longer bleeds as it once did
Watch in horror as his cries are muffled by the respirator
And even as you stand there defeated
They tell you it's alright
He's still holding on
But you know the truth
And they know as well
He's better off dead than in this soul-limbo.
Author notes
My mother's boyfriend went into a vegetative state before he died. I was very young when this happened, and I never saw him at the hospital, but my mother and his family made the decision to shut off the machines that were the only things keeping his heart from stopping. This is my take on whether it was right or wrong to pull the plug. I believe that if a person is completely unconscious, and only holding onto their life because of a machine, when there is no hope of them recovering, it is better to let them pass on than lingering in a world where they cannot enjoy life anymore. Some may have a different opinion, but please be kind if you disagree with my ideas on the subject.
A contest entry
- Contest! come and join!!!! by I-Feel-weightless.
360 points, ended May 1, 2008, 20 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - Maddness by GypsyEyes.
450 points, ended May 14, 2008, 46 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Please tell me what you think
Comments
1 - 9 of 9
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So sad...I agree with your view, although I've never been in that position myself so I can't honestly say how I'd react if it were me. Thank you for sharing something so very personal.
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Very sad, I'm sorry for your loss. The poem in itself is very good, keep writing.
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Very descriptive and well described. The font is a bit hard to read in my opinion with the background chosen but other than that it is pretty good. I think the ending is a little weak compared to the rest of it.
♥Becky♥
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I agree with your view, and although it's never an easy decision to make. Sometimes doctors tell you there is hope when there isn't, and sometimes they tell you there isn't when there is, and in the end, it's a decision that must be made by family and friends alone, and what their hearts tell them.
This was a wonderful poem. Great job. -
There was a fight over my grandfather when he was dying. The person in charge of his health concerns refuse to take him off life support for months and months.. it dragged on so much longer than it should have, and this poem really speaks to the anger I have over that whole process of letting him die with the dignity of a human being rather than a vegetable who can not communicate in any way with the outside world. I'm sorry for your loss, but thank you very much for penning this poem out of your hurt and anger. It was a beautiful read.
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oh wow this is incrediblely deep
a great read -
Ilove this poem. It speaks truth beyond belief. Why make someones soul linger in this realm of pain when the have no hope of ever returning. I understand sometimes it is possible for them to come back but, nine tmes out of ten it never happens. This here is my favorite part it totally backs up what i beleive:
Watch in horror as his cries are muffled by the respirator
And even as you stand there defeated
They tell you it's alright
He's still holding on
But you know the truth
And they know as well
He's better off dead than in this soul-limbo.
Thanks for the write and continue to write more great poems.
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Remember not to make a sound
Or they'll pull you down into their little hole
And you won't come back out
Very strong poem! Obviously that had an affect on you. My family had to make the same choice for my Aunt. I think the best thing to do is to just make your own feelings very clear to your family if God forbid they ever had to wonder. -
that first line just draws the reader in!
great poem! thank you so much for entering my contest and i wish you the best of luck! NineTailedFox
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