The Drowning Man Poem by James Case

Can you see the drowning man,
has he gone beneath a wave?
How do you know what to do
When you see no one to save?

Can you hear the drowning man
whose cries they make no sound?
Is he near, or far away
Is he lost, or just not found?

Can you grasp the drowning man
When you see no outreached hand?
No clues to find to give a cause
No footprints in the sand.

Can you feel the drowning man
with his grief, pain and dread?
Blending into a sea of others
Though inside he's almost dead.

Would you help the drowning man
or is the risk too great for you?
Are you afraid of being pulled down
Making you a victim too?

Do you know the drowning man
He is around you every day
Often he greets you with a smile
Other times with nothing to say.

The world without this drowning man
How would it affect your life?
Would important things still be so,
Are battles worth the strife?

Or do you drown the hurting man
holding his head below the waves
are your actions lifting him up
or pushing him towards his grave.

His life preserver is in your hands
You have more power than you know
You can raise him from the depths
with the caring love you show.

Sometimes a simple reaching out
can be the action that saves
Raising up the drowning man
above the crashing waves.


**Written to bring awareness to suicide, and the fear so many have with getting involed, but they do not realize how simple it is to be involved and truly make a difference.