Silent Lament

By skinner_jennifer

Tue, 09 Feb 2021
  • 1931 reads
12 comments
 

Moments linger

shielded from eyes,

yet going forward

madness becoming

like footprints

fading into night,

 

maybe observed

beneath ridge of

troubled bridge,

yet soul no

longer lingers,

 

slipped away

on that sad day,

taken by

murky gloom,

a brook bird song

hardly audible

beneath perpetual

flowing river,

 

tracing today

into tomorrow's

deeper appreciation

laps stony shore,

absorbs secrets

never told.

 

Prior to jumping

did you

look upon river,

declare how living

grew unreasonable?

 

Before loosing vision

troubled inner voices

must have languished,

dulling pain where only

current heard your

silent lament.

 

This poem was inspired by listening to

Bobby Gentry's sad song from 1967,

Ode to Billie Joe.

 

It's the tragic true story

of Billie Joe McAllister

who jumped to his death

off the Tallahatchie bridge

into the river.

 

Bobby Gentry - Ode to Billy Joe - YouTube

 

 

 

Certificate 18
Poem
Poems
Biography
Inspiration Point (work that responds to our weekly writing cue)

Comments

Submitted by celticman on

funnily enough was talking to my mate about that today, Jenny, but it was the Erskine Bridge we were talking about. 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

This has such a wistful sadness to it. 

'a brook bird song

hardly audible

beneath perpetual

flowing river'

Lovely lines. 
 

Rachel :)

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jack,

it sends shivers through me to think of how only the daughter in the family cared about Billie Joe jumping to his death. I've been reading up on the story and was trying to look at the song from the perspective of Billie Joe himself, even though the song is more about a family meal and how nonchalant the mother and father were to hear of his death.

Thank you for taking the time to read and comment, it's very much appreciated.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rachel,

I'm so glad you liked those lines. I imagined that might have been the last sound Billie Joe heard. 

Many thanks for stopping by to read and share your thoughts.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Hades502 on

Another good one, Jenny. I always like and seem to appreciate the sad ones, the loss of hope, futility. Good stuff.

GGHades502

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

It's very kind to let me know your thoughts on my poems GGHades502. Tragedy sadly can be inspiration too. Glad you appreciated this one, and thanks again for letting me know.

Jenny.

 

 

 

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

Yes I liked it too just wonder about the age restriction 18 sounds a bit high. If a kid could actually understand the story he should be old enough? And the other ones would'nt bother with this anyway not interested.

You know "the banks" of the old io" Joan Baez does a beautiful cover?

Stay well Jenny! Tom Brown

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Tom,

thank you for reading and commenting.

I put this poem at 18 because it's about suicide, which is a difficult subject to tackle. When a person reaches their ultimate low and can see no other way out, it breaks my heart as my mum did just this.

I appreciate your thoughts though.

You take care too.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Tom Brown on

It does make sense I didn't know. It is terrible, I am sorry. Maybe that's why I enjoy the Walt Disney movies so much. Seriously now.

All the best, stay well -Tom Brown

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

No problem Tom.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by jeand on

Hi Jenny

 

It is a sad poem, but very beautiful. My husband had a nephew who jumped out of a moving train and killed himself. It was the strangest funeral. The minister told us all to stop crying - he was only about 25 when he did it and had 2 young children. He had a long history of mental problems.  She said he needed to be with God, and found out how to do it.

 

Jean

Jean Day

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Jean,

there's nothing more tragic than hearing about a person who can't go on living any longer. Knowing that there's no other way out other than death, is as far down in the depths of despair a person can reach.

I was so sorry to read of your husband's nephew, what makes it worse is that he was just at the beginning of his short life...so young.

I'm glad you found the poem and thank you for sharing your thoughts.

Jenny.