A Space For Men to Share Experiences & Thoughts
'SOS is about building individual and collective resilience, empowering everyone to recognise their own self worth'
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Videos
THE MEN’S PLACE – BY MEN, FOR MEN
NOTHING IS MORE POWERFUL & MEANINGFUL THAN PERSONAL NARRATIVES
CONTENT, THOUGHTS & IDEAS BY MEN, FOR MEN.
PART OF OUR #MENINMIND CAMPAIGN
If you want to submit relevant content that might help or inspire other service users and are happy for it to be shown on our website, then please email us at info@sossilenceofsuicide.org .
However you help yourself through challenging times, you can share your experiences to help others & make a difference
Films
Poetry
By William McKechnie
We were recently contacted by William McKechnie who sent us some powerful poems he has written
With William’s permission, we are sharing his words which describe the darkness people may feel, but also provokes thoughts and discussion about why people may choose to live.
William’s words are powerful and his truth. We are therefore putting a trigger warning ahead of anyone reading his poems.
Our thanks and best wishes to William.
If you’d like to help support people in crisis, then please fill out our volunteer application form.
All the poems below are by William McKechnie and shared by SOS with William’s full permission.
Living Organs!
“I am going to kill myself”
A man said this no lie,
“No one will miss me
So it’s better if I die”
“My life isn’t worth living
Nothing is going right,
Only I can stop this pain
If I die here tonight”
Many people tried this
Because life was insane,
Some are now disabled
Yet many died in pain.
You may want to die
But body it does not,
When you cut yourself
Blood will start to clot.
You can swallow pills
Thinking that’s the trick,
But body wants to live
It will make you sick.
Think about your body
Your body is a shell,
Protecting many organs
Who want to live as well.
When you go to sleep
Your organs have a goal,
They want to stay alive
So now they’re in control.
Think about your organs
You have quite a few,
Many die who want to live
Now we’re back to you.
Life has many hurdles
And can cause us pain,
But don’t give up on life
Think about this chain.
Chain is linked together
Father, husband, son,
Mother, sister, daughter
Each and everyone.
Take away one link
Now chain will fall apart,
Circle has been broken
This is just the start.
Chain no longer strong
So much grief they cry,
If you end your life
Another link may die.
By
William McKechnie
Invisible Illnessess
Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue
Lupus, Sarcoidosis,
Hepatitis, Diabetes
Multiple Sclerosis.
Infertility, Lyme Disease
Heart conditions too,
Headaches and Migraines
Pain they’re going through.
Thyroid Disease, Crohn’s Disease
Coeliac as well,
Rheumatoid Arthritis
Causing people hell.
CIDP, PBC
Clinical Depression,
PNH and UC
Can lead to aggression.
Chronic Myofashal Pain
Depression, IBS,
Food intolerance, Allergies
Invisible illnesses? YES!
By
William McKechnie
The Painter
Watch them paint a picture
Of how life ought to be,
A job for life with good pay
For all the world to see.
Not caring about the future
Life being such a blast,
Looking forward all the time
Letting go of past.
Children playing with Daddy
Or Mummy at the park,
Tucking them in bed at night
Before it gets too dark.
Ex partners being friendly
Amicable every day,
Wanting them to have good life
Checking they’re okay.
Some friends show affection
Lending helping hand,
Listening to their problems
Saying they understand.
But here in the real world
Many painters cry,
Because life isn’t simple
And many painters die.
No job to keep them busy
No pay to have good life,
No one prepared to listen
Just adding to their strife.
Paint has many colours
Too thin and it will run,
If the paint dries out
Painting can’t be done.
What is Mental Health?
It is living with much pain,
From ugly thoughts inside
The painting in our brain.
Landscape art is beautiful
Colours bright you see,
But take a black paint brush
One stroke will end its glee.
Painting is now damaged
Sometimes beyond repair,
Is this making sense to you?
In making you aware.
One man gave up painting
The landscape in his head,
He could not paint his picture
Now this man is dead.
He lived with Mental Health
Like many, turned blind eye,
Instead of beautiful painting
He allowed his paint to dry.
Please seek help at once
Don’t shy away and hide,
Mental Health Awareness
Might kill off, Suicide.
By
William McKechnie
Deppression
One minute feeling on top of the world
Then next minute you’re feeling low,
You know it’s no lie with tear in each eye
Why you’re like this you don’t know.
When you are high you know the truth
Nothing, no one gets you down,
But when you are low you know it so
Time when you feel you could drown.
People don’t get you they don’t understand
Most of them turn a blind eye,
Listening to many who simply don’t care
Whether you live or you die.
When lying in bed you struggle to sleep
With invisible illness that’s right,
Trying to get a decent nights rest
But tossing and turning all night.
People are quick to jump to conclusions
Whenever they meet folks it’s true,
But most of them folks are hypocrites
Who have their own issues like you.
Pain in joints some days unbearable
But life must go on please be told,
No matter how hard your life has got
Your body is like precious gold.
You only have one chance! Not true
I know life can be tight,
Only you can turn things around
Then who knows? Your life may be right.
Mental Health problems affect everyone
If you think you’re perfect you’re not,
From sleep deprivation to staying indoors
It does happen and quite a lot.
Stay focused on track never look back
You can’t change the past as you know
Live life to the full you’re on borrowed time
Because one day we all have to go.
By
William McKechnie
Live for Life
Life is short not too long
During life things go wrong
Many lives are thrown away
Not to live another day
Living daily with much strife
Contemplating ending life
Those still living left behind
Some have suicide in mind
Living with no place to be
But death is for eternity
By
William McKechnie
It’s Good to Talk
She was falling, falling down
Into big hole in the ground
In a pit and sinking low
No one there to help her so
Going deeper, feeling heat
Burning pain down at her feet
Demons waiting, where it’s hot
Not long now in her thought
Death was nearing on its way
Too late now for her to pray
Deadly silence, not a sound
From dark place, in the ground
Then a voice, she heard a voice
Now she had another choice
Instead of sinking, deeper there
She could exit, from nightmare
Voice of reason, voice so calm
Talked her out, from self harm
A simple voice chatted more
That saved her from deaths door
Started climbing saw the light
She knew she would be alright
Many people have much strife
Contemplating taking life
A smile for you but they’re lying
Just for show but inside dying
It’s good to talk, can ease strife
You could save, a person’s life
IT’S GOOD TO TALK
By
William McKechnie