From Shadows to Rainbows: A Poem for Suicide Awareness Month

September whispers softly,
reminding us of truths we often forget:
that pain can be silent,
and battles can be hidden
behind steady smiles and everyday words.

We pass each other in grocery aisles,
in classrooms, on sidewalks—
never knowing who is carrying the question:
Should I stay? Do I matter?
The weight of worth pressed heavy on their chest.

So let this month be a lantern.
A light for those who sit in the shadows,
wondering if hope has forgotten them.
A call for us to be gentler, kinder—
because we don’t know the storms
raging inside another’s heart.

And for those in the struggle—
know this:
you are not only meant to survive.
There is more for you—
moments of laughter that come unannounced,
sunrises that soften the night,
connections that remind you:
you are worthy of love,
of peace,
of life.

Surviving is brave.
Thriving is possible.
And hope—
though it may flicker—
is still here, waiting to rise with you.

So let’s carry this awareness with us,
not just in September,
but every day.