Had Henry been a man, not so lost in ache
You might have seen him fishing, at Erie Lake
Having slept down a while, it crept up his spine
That riot of pain, yet again, redeemed its shrine
Ah! Aghast with this scuffle, till hurt had its fills
Henry, now, pain’s playfield, till, mercy kills ……..

How had he told his Mama, “This pain won’t last”
And Papa Harry jested, “You win, we’ll have a blast”
Lil sis yearned, “My brave bro! Our hope’s gonna win”
Lovey-dovey Ana cried, “Losing love to sting, a sin”
A sum of fears and hopes arrayed, that heart instills
For a man betrayed, his misery thrills, till mercy kills ……..

While pain torments, and death dissents, in a tug of war
Amidst, the two, a man resents, “Will bear, no more.
Why barter for life, in market of threat, betwixt two foes?
What’s left, ain’t life, what’s lost, was all, plight of my woes”
Henry’s soul spent, agony’s hell-bent, to try its brute skills
Every nerve breaks down, submits to its wills, till, mercy kills ……..

Will a man disgrace, to save a chase, a life forlorn?
“I ain’t the one, to drag my life, like a jacket torn.
Doctor! This travesty of my life, I bequeath
A blue-eyed boy, who chased a dream, now chasing death
Done with life, that soul pities, and pain fulfills
Lead me beyond its stabbing chills, till, mercy kills ……..”

The first day of spring, alas, why, Henry not fishing
High on 10g-Pentobarbital, lay numb, kins wishing
Swift, it was, yes, death, at last, pain lost, but life too
Henry, no more, unbound soul, revels, bids adieu
A lawful suicide, or homicide, or humane goodwills
Beyond meanings, right to die, at will, when mercy kills ……..

© 2015 Vikas Chandra