I wrote this poem as part of my MA Creative Writing course. It’s inspired by both witnessing a person being talked off a motorway bridge by the police, and the loss of a family member to suicide – and the helpless feeling that accompanied it.
Predominantly an author of narrative non-fiction, I’m always seeking to represent raw experience in words. Experimenting with poetry has allowed me to bring into my writing a level of emotion I’ve struggled with before.
Jumper 43‘s title comes from misheard Wolf Alice lyrics, from their song ‘Bros’. I heard the lyric ‘jump that 43’ (referring to a bus), as ‘jumper 43’ and it stuck in my head for months. I love how creative writing is inextricably linked to a multitude of experiences.
This was an emotional poem to write and it may well be to listen to.
The Samaritans can be contacted 24/7 throughout the year.
Helplessness is one of the most difficult feelings we can experience. But numbness is surely worse.