Three choices I don't have



The admission price to the game of life is facing death.

I have no interest in whether I am clinically depressed;
No interest in artificially altering my mood to be more socially acceptable even if I am.
I have no cries for help in me – I have felt this way for 30 years.
So many things could get me anyway, I refuse to make Death's job any easier.

I just want to consider the choice I don't want:
whether to carry on or kill myself,
in contrast with the much fairer choice that nobody has:
whether I would rather have this life or have never existed.

Unexpectedly the choice I don't have is strangely comforting.
There is a third choice also not available:
whether I would prefer someone else's life,
but not much comfort in that.

As the passenger flight from Rio to Paris falls out of the sky
or I stand on the 105th floor of the burning world trade centre considering
whether to choke on fumes and burn to death or fall 105 storeys
I consider the choice between this life and non-existence

And my surprising conclusion
even in the face of death
is life



Poetry by Andrew Bindon
Read 786 times
Written on 2009-12-15 at 15:27

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Andrew Bindon
What I describe as the "fairer choice" is not just actually impossible by a priori impossible.

But never mind.

8-)
2009-12-16


jenks The PoetBay support member heart!
ai! sometimes we're just fated :)
2009-12-16



Brilliant work Andrew. Very vivid and IN ' Our contemporary face' style. Yes! When faced with death, even the most depressed of our souls cry out for life. I experience this myself several years ago when I broke down on a busy cliff road, in a bad spot, I was constantly in jepardy of being hit by another car for an hour, my nervousness, constant jumping out of my skin, type stuff! Made me realise, I did, for the first time since losing my honey in a road accident, a few years before, REALLy want to live. It was the start of my recovery from his loss. See? Death started it, and Life finished it, that battle anyway!lol

I really enjoyed this poem.

Merry BlissMiss

tai
2009-12-16


Rob Graber
The poem's speaker seems to identify only two choices he doesn't HAVE, viz., whether to have been born, and whether to be someone else; the choice whether to go on living--given that he is born and given that he cannot become someone else--is not a choice he doesn't have, the title to the contrary; it is, according to lines 6 and 14, a choice he just doesn't WANT (at least some of the time). Perhaps the apparent contradiction can be resolved by assuming that somewhere between writng the text and settling on its title, the poem's voice decides that the third "choice" isn't really a choice either?

Enjoyed the write!

:-,?

(User is puffing complacently on his pipe)
2009-12-15



The way you express through words is outstanding,the Phantom of Life&Death,the choices we face or try to deny.. of depression.But to ulter our brain stem to focus that what ever falls in place,either it is good or bad.Our stem is a continuous growth of self awareness and self asteem.Its a strange place,when my thoughts fall upon paper.Stunning this piece of mindbenders or mind ultering disection of life itself...You write with such deep soul searching!!
I could keep on writing but will put my mind on pause:P

Take care of you and have a Safe and great christmas,and may all your ups and downs be in bed !!

cyndi
2009-12-15


Eli The PoetBay support member heart!
Stunning!
2009-12-15