Collateral Damage

Ah, look at all the lonely people ...

writing the words of a sermon that no one will hear ...

Beatles, Eleanor Rigby

This poem refers to the increasing number of teenagers suffering from depression and anxiety  during the pandemic

PEOPLE WITH SUICIDAL THOUGHTS SHOULD NOT READ THIS TEXT

 

Collateral Damage

a girl sixteen years old Jane Rigby her name

enjoyed learning bass guitar dreaming of fame

she had many friends and was good at school too

young Jane was convinced that her dreams would come true

pandemic "gosh darn it" this meant separation

so lonely the people in forced isolation

too many fell victim to pure desperation

and mostly affected: the young generation

"day after day life is empty and idle"

once lively Jane had become suicidal

lasting for hours she stared at the wall

even lost interest in her best friends´ call

 

"don't want to talk to them, they not to me,

leave me alone, Mom, back off, let it be"

mindlessly scrolling her phone the whole night

claiming aggressively "I am alright"

writing the words of a song full of fear

that - she already knew - no one would hear

listlessly woke up lost visibly weight

for virtual classes began to be late

then social media flustered her mind

followed examples of beauty like blind

marvelled some starlets with pictures touched up

"girl, too much screen time" "oh mother, shut up"

poor Jane withdrew from life not realizing

she had been netted in smart advertising

can´t replace eye contact, skin and warm breath

finally grabbed a knife and bled to death

it happened a year ago middle of May

"collateral damage" I heard someone say

fine words of farewell were engraved on her stone

I silently added "she felt all alone"