Author Topic: Suicide on Mercy Street  (Read 2738 times)

helene

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Suicide on Mercy Street
« on: August 31, 2011, 11:42:40 AM »
You spoke to me in the library today, of suicide, of how your mother, the famous poet,
Anne Sexton died first and then later you tried it too, being so overcome from mourning her,
For so long: years melting into depthless pools, spiraling every downwards,
Into a place so deep even you can hardly see it, yet you feel it as I did when, at long last,
I closed your book shut for the final time, like I thought I'd closed the book on Lesley's life,
And would like to on my own...
I am reminded of how, at dusk the other night, that paranoid woman came 'round to our house again,
With her long, strawberry-blond hair, whipped by the wind 'round her worried, guant face,
I watched her with wild-wolf-eyes as, with delicate, slender fingers, she placed her cigarette,
Ever so carefully between her thin lips, inhaling death in the midst of fierce life,
As her lilting Irish accent, so like Lesley's, told me all the conspiracies of her troubled mind,
As Lesley once did so long ago now it seems...
So when you, Linda Gray Sexton, daughter of poetess Anne Sexton, spoke to me in the library,
Of suicide on Mercy Street, I cried, cried, cried when I read your final words, stood up,
Went to the library entrance and saw my dead sister enter a thousand, million times,
Lesley: at the library at the library the library the library...no mercy there either, for me, like there was none,
For Anne Sextone and so, still[/i, after so much time: ] we are all desperately searching,
For Mercy Street, but, I am afraid, like Anne knew, Linda knew and Lesley knew and now I know:

No such address exists.



Helene.


Helene & Lesley

Terry

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Re: Suicide on Mercy Street
« Reply #1 on: September 01, 2011, 04:22:32 PM »

Did you write this, Helene or did Lesley? I am assuming that you wrote it. There certainly are similarities between Lesley and Anne.

Thanks for any light you can shed. As always, I am intrigued.

Hugs!

helene

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Re: Suicide on Mercy Street
« Reply #2 on: September 06, 2011, 06:42:24 AM »
Hi Terry,

I wrote this poem just last week after finishing two books - memoirs - written by Anne Sexton's daughter, Linda Sexton. I was so moved by her books (as well as by Anne Sexton's poetry) that I felt the need to write my own poem as a kind of response.

Love,

Helene


Helene & Lesley

helene

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Re: Suicide on Mercy Street
« Reply #3 on: September 06, 2011, 08:57:15 AM »
Hi Terry -

Me again. I've some more to say about my latest poem. Some people 'accused' Lesley (after her death) her slowly committing suicide because she was so adament about not taking her medication and was always cutting back on her seizure medications. This makes me very angry because I know that Lesley wanted to live  - and tried as hard as she could to live. There is lots I could tell you here, but...suffice to say...after a lot of reading through medical books, I discovered new things about Lesley's seizures - that there is a kind of seizure that is non-epileptic. (I think I've posted about this fact before.) The bottom line is: the medication Lesley took was for epileptic seizures and that is the WRONG kind of medication for the kind of seizures LESLEY suffered from (which are called psychogenic seizures or non-epileptic seizures). Somehow Lesley instinctually always KNEW she was on the wrong medication but no-one knew enough about the psychogenic seizures to help her and so she was doomed. I know that now. Lesley did NOT commit slow suicide or fast suicide or suicide of any kind. (Not that I condemn people who do....because I understand how horrible emotional and physical pain can get!!).

Anne Sexton and Linda Sexton both suffered from severe and dehabilitating depression. Anne had it the worst in some ways because in her day (1950s, 60s, 70s) there was very little medication for depression and it was little understood. But even with Linda....times were tough in the medical world regarding depression and suicide attempts.

That's all for now. Love, Helene     Hope I've made some sense here.


Helene & Lesley

browneyedgirl

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Re: Suicide on Mercy Street
« Reply #4 on: September 06, 2011, 09:20:39 AM »
((((helene)))))

Lots of love.
Tony Repola 07/20/66 – 03/29/09
I know you are fishing in the oceans and streams of heaven

Terry

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Re: Suicide on Mercy Street
« Reply #5 on: September 06, 2011, 07:40:54 PM »

I appreciate that, Helene and I do remember your sharing another time regarding the different reasons for seizures. Years ago, just as years from now, so much more will be realized regarding medical and emotional problems. Everything is relative, I guess.

You always make sense! :)

Love & Hugs,
Terry