Please ask

You made the whole world glad,

Though inside you only felt sad.

A spark of joy in a world so dim,

No one knew your end would be so grim.

“Carpe Diem,” “Run-by fruiting,” “What year is it?”—

Now strike so differently as the words hit.

“Good morning, Vietnam,” “A friend like me”—

All are harder now for us to see.

You made the world laugh every day,

But this was not a place you could stay.

******

So pretty, so young, just eighteen years,

Weeks before, you lit the stage with cheers.

I met you once, your smile so bright—

Who could have known your hidden fight?

Your art was beautiful, full of grace,

But life too brief to leave this place.

******

I met you sometimes, through a friend,

Never knowing what you longed to mend.

The life of the party, laughter out loud,

You never did things small, always proud.

Two little girls, a wife with curls—

No one thought you’d leave this world.

Those who loved you grieve each day,

Left with words we cannot say.

*******

“Wish that I could stay forever this young,”

A lyric you sang, now forever sung.

Such upbeat words, such joyful tone,

But in hindsight, the message shone.

I cannot fathom the pain you bore,

That made you walk through death’s dark door.

********

Eighteen years ago yesterday,

Mum called with words that stole breath away:

That I would never see you again—

Your laughter gone, behind the pain.

Your giggles and stories still remain,

They echo on, though edged with pain.

Eyes the brightest, ocean-blue,

Gone too soon, at twenty-two.

*********

“Selfish” and “stupid” are words often said,

But they don’t explain the weight you bled.

So loved, so happy—you seemed that way,

Yet shadows grew each hidden day.

For those who’ve fought, their lessons stay—

To notice signs we miss today.

Through grief and stories, love shines through,

I write this now to honor you.

And if you’re someone fighting too—

Please, reach out. Don’t see it through.