As a lifelong supporter of the Reds there have been many seminal moments, the majority good and some bad, some sad. Hillsborough was one of the bad moments. Very bad moments.
But even out of tragedy, positives can be gained. The Dalai Lamai once said, "There is a saying in Tibetan, 'Tragedy should be utilized as a source of strength.' No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose our hope, that's our real disaster."
The positive for me was meeting Stuart Littlewood, a Hillsborough survivor, and his partner Susan after the Celebration of the 96 Memorial match on 21 April 2014. As many times as one sees the harrowing scenes on television and the news reports on the inquest, talking to someone who was actually there gives one a first hand and privileged picture of that day, April 15 1989.
Stuart sent me a short poem he touchingly wrote 23 years ago, about how close he came to dying that day and in that moment he was aware of fellow supporters dying around him. It also explains the guilt Stuart felt about his own survival.
The poem was first published in the Hillsborough Interlink magazine on April 15th 1991. Stuart has kindly given permission for us to reproduce his poem:
Held like a baby in the arms of a proud father,
Held so tightly, unable to move.
Short of breath, am I so close to death?
I see pain in people's faces, they reach out for me
It's their last breath.
I give up on life, I can't hold on anymore,
Like a drowning man I'm pulled ashore.
I'm not sure whether I'm grateful.
I wish the 15th April was fateful for me.
I've suffered too much pain…
To come away from Hillsborough with my life,
Was no gain
The hope is that through the inquest the families of the 96 and the survivors and their families are healed to the extent where they get closure. As the author Dr Irving Yalom once said, "If we climb high enough, we will reach a height from which tragedy ceases to look tragic."
A touching poem. Meeting a survivor and talking about the day will always be with you. A day of sadness yet strength coming together well done Vic.
ReplyDeleteThe poem is very moving and beautifully crafted, metre, cadence, rhyme, everything (maybe Paxman should have a read and change his mind about modern poetry).
DeleteIain M
Very meaningful. It must affect him to this day.
DeleteThis was an extremely touching poem from Stuart and we who were not at Hillsborough on that fateful day can not imagine the harrowing scenes taking place throughout the whole disaster.
ReplyDeleteWe can only hope that justice will be served at the end of the inquest as some sort of closure for the families as it has been just too long.
Thanks again Stuart for giving us a further insight into that day no matter how hard it was and still is to talk about it.