Sunday, March 16, 2025

Poem: Glad to be me.

The following is a contribution to our EPC "Story Contest". Visit our "contributor info" (link) "recent stories" (link) and "story index" (link).

Please send your story (fact or creative fiction) to: story@epcc.ca

Helene Ryles is a deaf blind person from the UK who sent us the following personal message opposed to legalization of assisted suicide.

Helen Ryles wrote: 

The assisted dying bill is so frightening. Particularly for people like me who can be pushed into it. I have a right to live and I mean to stay alive. 

It’s been total hell for the last few weeks. I couldn’t concentrate on anything and even trying to write anything caused me to have something like a seizure as if someone had put a curse on me for want of a better way of explaining myself and I woke with severe pain several times a night. I know this must sound really crazy but there’s some very evil people out to get me but I flatly refuse to back down but it is more important than ever that we DO Not back down now. So for everyone who wants them dead we MUST fight this bill with tooth and nail with EVERYTHING we have so nobody else has all the meaningful things in their lives such as reading and knitting and making my dolls systematically take away from me. 

Poem by Helen Ryles
Glad to be me

glad to live as i, with all i can do,

glad when i am not in pain or in the blue

glad that i can read in braille

internet friends and exciting tales

inspiring and comforting dots help me through the bleakest spots

glad for my sense of touch

beauty at my fingertips that mean so much.

with a red and white cane i do roam,

feeling land marks to help me get home.

glad for many helping hands

friends who communicate with me to help me make fresh plans.

glad for vegan meals, fast rides, and challanging climbes, and other such activities to help me through hard times.

glad for many comforting dreams.

vegan lovers turn to ever lasting teams,

people who accept me as me,

i dont wish to be molded, i wish to be free.

dreams of being a published writer,

human and animal rights fighter,

journeys to india ireland and usa,

maybe to visit maybe to stay.

when the ghosts have gone, life will be so much fun

I'm glad to live as me, deafblind vegan and always will be.

Photo Creations by Helen Ryles (from a fantasy novel project now in progress)
 

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