He Doesn’t Need You Now

[Pendragon]

HE DOESN’T NEED YOU NOW

You never had the time for him,
this child of your desire.
There were always so many things you felt were so much more important.
He tried in so many ways to tell you of the longing he felt,
but his pleas fell upon deaf ears.
Finally, he became so desperate for your attention, that he felt he had no choice,
and the sharp bark of a gun rent the summer night.
At his funeral, you shed a gallon of tears and sobbed about your loss;
and now you haunt his gravestone even though you were seldom in his room.
Your job suffers, you lose much sleep, you long to hold him close—
all noble things:
but he doesn’t need you now…

Dale Harris
©1/7/96

This poem was written after a very tragic event that shook me good...

[littlewing53]

pen, my heart aches reading this poem....it's perfect...who can know another's heart....

[SleepyWitch]

very sad! i hope it didn't happen to someone close to you?
the last line is like a smack in the face.

but he doesn’t need you now…

[barbara0207]

I agree with Sleepy and the other posters. Your poem tears a mother's heart in two. The tragedy is that there is no way of compensation. The parent will have to live with his/her guilty feelings for all their lives. So sad!

[ampoule]

It made me think of Cats In the Cradle by Harry Chapin until I got to the part that the child had taken his life. Most likely we all long for attention but it seems that there had to be a deeper problem within this child for him to kill himself. I wonder over and over why these terrible tragedies have to happen and I'm so sorry you had to endure this, whether directly or as an observer.
Each and every person's life is valuable even if other's pay no attention. We have to love the one we're with...ourselves.

[firefangled]

Pen, I know what you mean with these words. Well said.

There comes a time when there is no time left.

[stormy sky]

it hurts.

[dibyendra]

This one is full of grief Pen. People only realize the loss only when are not with them and other time they just keep ignoring each other. That is why relationship is really complex thing. After reading your poem, it made me want to think about my past relationship when it just faded away without any reasons. Anyway, your poem really touched my heart Pen. :thumbs_up

[Pendragon]

I agree with all of you that it is painful. Yes, Sleepy, that last line is a slap in the face. But I want you to understand something. I have had to comfort those whose child has committed suicide. I have tried it twice myself. I have warned people only to have them laugh in my face. Fortunately, their daughter survived her attempt, barely. A cousin hanged himself only two weeks ago. A friend shot himself after I had talked to him two days before. Another called me and talked and was rushed to the hospital that very night with an overdose. He survived, barely.

Maybe I'm slapping me around. Maybe there are those I feel I should have been there for, but they don't need me now. Where was I when they did? Like that one song says "How do you get that lonely and nobody know?"

It's painful. It hurts. But there are those out there that if someone doesn't see the light really quickly, the person that they now longer need might be you or me. That's the message of this poem. The time to help is before it's too late. Hate the poem and the poet as well if you like, but if it makes one person take a better look at the world, I feel justified...

[SleepyWitch]

I'm sorry about your cousin and your friend. it was very brave of you to warn people about suicide and comfort those parents. it's more than most people would have done. i guess many people would just keep their distance out of false respect and leave the bereaved ones to deal with it themselves

[dibyendra]

I agree with all of you that it is painful. Yes, Sleepy, that last line is a slap in the face. But I want you to understand something. I have had to comfort those whose child has committed suicide. I have tried it twice myself. I have warned people only to have them laugh in my face. Fortunately, their daughter survived her attempt, barely. A cousin hanged himself only two weeks ago. A friend shot himself after I had talked to him two days before. Another called me and talked and was rushed to the hospital that very night with an overdose. He survived, barely.

Maybe I'm slapping me around. Maybe there are those I feel I should have been there for, but they don't need me now. Where was I when they did? Like that one song says "How do you get that lonely and nobody know?"

It's painful. It hurts. But there are those out there that if someone doesn't see the light really quickly, the person that they now longer need might be you or me. That's the message of this poem. The time to help is before it's too late. Hate the poem and the poet as well if you like, but if it makes one person take a better look at the world, I feel justified...


Oh now I got you mean actually. At first I took the meaning slightly different but now I'm clear what you mean. I completely agree with you Pen and it's really painful after reading those you have stated. But the message you have given is really great and very much appreciated. :thumbs_up