I (admittedly) don't really go out of my way to read poems, so any that impact me i happen across through other sources. One of which is "The View from Halfway Down" by Alison Tafel, for the show Bojack Horseman. (my rendition of the poems style is at the end of the post)
"
The weak breeze whispers nothing
The water screams sublime
His feet shift, teeter-totter
Deep breath, stand back, it’s time
Toes untouch the overpass
Soon he’s water bound
Eyes locked shut but peek to see
The view from halfway down
A little wind, a summer sun
A river rich and regal
A flood of fond endorphins
Brings a calm that knows no equal
You’re flying now
You see things much more clear than from the ground
It’s all okay, it would be
Were you not now halfway down
Thrash to break from gravity
What now could slow the drop
All I’d give for toes to touch
The safety back at top
But this is it, the deed is done
Silence drowns the sound
Before I leaped I should’ve seen
The view from halfway down
I really should’ve thought about
The view from halfway down
I wish I could’ve known about
The view from halfway down
"
The poem's message is simple, it is about the regret of someone committing suicide in the middle of the act. The poem slowly deconstructs the persons thoughts in the split second time that they fall - detailing their regret in a terrifying way. It begins in third person, detached from the person, as the calm and tranquility almost seems inviting. Then, it shifts to the first person, and the point of view becomes chaotic in that timeframe as instinct and fear kick in. In a way it tries to warn against acting in such a way by convincing the audience that regret will be inevitable, as from a detached sense it may seem right, but survival is in the instinct and fear cannot be avoided. It is a very blunt poem, it's meaning is obvious and not hidden beneath layers. Reading it is one thing, but this poem made me realize how much they can fit into larger contexts and be so much more impactful. The way it was presented in the show was harrowing.
DONT MOVE ON IF YOU NEVER WATCHED THE SHOW, IF YOU DONT CARE/HAVE WATCHED PLEASE CONTINUE. (its one of my favorite shows so if you havent watched it dont read and put it on your list)
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SPOILER SECTION--
The episode begins in a psychedelic dream state of the main character at a dinner party with passed away friends and his father - taking the form of a race horse that commited suicide by jumping off of a bridge - performs this poem. Bojack faces the inevitability of death, facing all the people in his life who have died. As his mental palace keeps collapsing, the audience slowly realizes that Bojack himself is in such a situation as he is drowning in his pool in real life. This episode of the show blew my mind and is still one of my favorites in all of TV, and the poem is a huge part of why - that scene still sticks in my head. I think poetry is immensely impactful in larger contexts, especially when its theme or message tackles something presently relevant.
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My (shorter) rendition (and happier):
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