For Viktor Frankl
What he learned of success — don’t look for it, aim & mis, better yet, don’t
aim at all – came from concentration
camps;
here he honed his therapy watching his patients
die,
wondering if he’d see his wife again
(he didn’t),
weakened by forced
marches (or
perhaps growing
stronger),
and the ashes of souls
in the
air
turned to tears never
cried;
he dissected why the dying live
and learned to ask his future patients
why not just off themselves
already knowing the answer,
that in the darkest holes,
meaning wears
many
disguises.
9 thoughts on "For Viktor Frankl "
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Just awesome. Those last lines feel so earned. The trials this man went through.
I loved Man’s Search for Meaning. This is a moving tribute to its author.
Thought provoking. Well written.
Wow. A tragic hero!
This is great, Lee!
This is the type of poem that leaves someone speechless – nothing I can say but well done!
Love the voice in this, Lee! Great work
Good examination of an exceptional person, Lee. I do want to note that I feel Frankl, rather than asking his patients something like “why not just off yourselves”, he asked those who claimed they had reconsidered why they no longer wished to take their lives. I feel this is an important distinction, but feel free to ignore.
There is written documentation, at least in my copy of the book, that Frankl did put the suicide question to patients, perhaps to prompt them to name something that gives their lives meaning. But I take your point. I can see him asking both questions at different stages in a patient’s therapy.