Their Voices Ring! a dedication poem to the Gardens at Saint Elizabeths
Their Voices Ring!
by Sister Pamela F. Thomas
of Lens & Pens, Brushes and Friends
A Memorial to hundreds of thousands who died behind State Psychiatric Hospital walls,
Is why we're all thus gathered, their voices from the grave calls.
Some rest in unmarked graves, it's told some in an urn.
This mission is to right this wrong, and grant peace; that they must yearn!So many organizations have joined amid this plight —
To bring to rest, these many souls, who've fought the good ol' fight!
Life is hard for everyone, but when you're mentally ill —
It's doubly hard, for people think, wellness is just sheer will!Treatment's gone through many lows, from the time that it began.
English Quakers, Bless them all, strived to touch the heart of man.
In early 19th Century they urged—treatment to be humane.
Their influence did do quite a lot, but alas began to wane.
Late 19th Century in Hospitals, the most that we all knew—
Was overcrowding and neglect, then warehoused, forgotten too.The movement did awaken, and greatly vitalized.
First by Clifford W. Beers and Dorothea Dix who prized—
The value of each human being, who with mental illness dealt.
Society could meet our needs, and this is what they felt.They gave birth to a movement, to empower ourselves and more.
We ourselves our advocates, just hear our voices roar!
Mental Health America, melted all our chains!
Then made a bell, which still rings now, to make sure freedom reigns.So that all hearts will hearken, we're gathered in this way —
To memorialize our fallen, that's why we're here today.
We all know everyone of us, with dignity and respect —
Would want the world to bury us, when life's end we've met.That's why this call goes out, to rally 'round this quest.
Let's give these souls what they deserve, this really means our best!
And if the voiceless people happen, from the grave to cry —
Are given voice, by we who live, we never could deny.For we too, so long have had no voice, we've suffered much as well.
We've come together on this day, and this is oh so swell.
For when our voice is joined this way, there's no way to ignore —
The greatness of this mission, we're undeniably sure!
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