In the summer of 2017, Chester Bennington of LinkinPark died by suicide. He'd fought for years and was an influence to many people across the globe. As a volunteer suicide and crisis intervention responder and a survivor of suicide myself, I understand all too well how the battle for life can take you at any time.
LinkinPark is one of my favorite bands, having fallen in love with them in 1999 with their first album, Hybrid Theory. After Chester died, though, I cried for days and couldn't bring myself to listen to LinkinPark until 2020, when my own life took a difficult emotional turn I had no control over. I had forgotten how much I love them.
On July 20, 2017, I wrote a poem for Chester.
Though we never met, we shared this time and place
Enduring pain as one, sharing souls in waves of space
Words spoken evoking change and with agony we transform
And even still, your honest emotions take me by storm
Affecting the world at large, through music made from magical pain
Though you cannot start again, in memory you will remain
Forever a piece of every shattered person, who listened and wept
In this world which often feels cruel and kind morality unkept
Teaching to feel it and primal scream it, embrace all that we feel
That only in the shadow of life do we truly begin the journey to heal
So many aspects will be missed, especially your beautifully haunted soul
Losing too many to senseless pain, the hate in the world takes its toll
When I'm feeling empty, and have pressure on my chest
I will keep you in my memory and leave out all the rest
All will start again and I'm forgiving what you've done
Accepting no more sorrow, the work has just begun.
Thank you, Chester, for your life and influence.
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