Tarah Hipple

Tarah Hipple is an avid student of social work and cognitive behavioral therapy. She was a blog contributor for the Open to Hope Foundation and recently authored her book Tarah’s Song: Words of Survival, a compilation of poems about her journey from tragedy to suffering to survival. Her first-hand accounts of tragedy at a young age are penned in these poems. Tarah used writing and playing the piano as a sort of therapy, and these creative outlets helped Tarah to be able to discuss feelings she had difficulty expressing. Through intense therapy for her post-traumatic stress disorder, Tarah confronted the past and found peace. She now co-presents with her father, Eric Hipple, and speaks about their continued journey of recovery and suicide prevention. Tarah was born in 1993 and resides in Michigan.

Articles:

Sister Unloads Grief Years After Brother’s Suicide

I was a sweet, blue-eyed seven-year-old girl watching The Parent Trap while my big brother was babysitting. He got me a cup of water after asking if there was anything I needed. Little did I know my answer should have been, “I need my big brother.” Only minutes later I heard a heart-stopping, deafening boom. I sat there, frozen. What was that? My blonde hair on the back of my neck was standing up, and my ears were ringing. The terrifying noise was the gun my brother used to take his own life. Thirteen years later, that emotionally scarred little […]

My Heart and Me: A Poem

My heart and me Is all I need to be complete; I could try to stand But can’t Unless I know it’s for my heart and me. I couldn’t see With just me So I made sure I still had my heart To come along with me. My heart would have worn away long ago From the exhaustion of being on my sleeve But for me—it kept beating And for my heart—I kept breathing We were meant to be, My heart and me. And I can’t love without thee, My heart And my heart can’t circulate blood Without me It […]

Someday: A Poem

I may have lost myself somewhere along the way But I’ll be back when the dawn breaks…someday. Along my journey I walked into too many caves And the darkness made me want my home And to come back someday. There were dragons to slay Horrific dragons—I was afraid But I slayed them And loudly whispered amens After praying to guide me back…someday. I witnessed a hungry lion And I fed him with guilt But the innocence inside of me Made me want to redeem myself someday. As I wandered astray I slowly found myself And wearily asked the Lord for […]

A Haunting Disturbance: A Poem

Maybe I’ll always be tortured by loud noises The sudden silence after it echoes through the trees Maybe my skin will always develop goosebumps As I hear the little girl inside of me Soundlessly scream—no, no more—please. The emptiness that is momentarily formed in my heart Soon fills with dread From the conclusion of the beginning That plays like a horror movie inside my pounding head. Maybe my muscles will always tense When I hear a noise similar to what ended a living But if that’s the one more piece of evidence That proves my heart is still beating Though […]

Poem: The Thief

The night was cold, the fire burning old And the shepherd couldn’t take his eyes off his flock His stare was dry, life the air of the night And his head he was able to move, could not. He was aware of the dangers Of the night’s freezing strangers So he had extra help, his fire Little did he know, he was starting to doze But he had to stay awake, for he was required. He was freezing and shaking But a howl was an awakening Of someone in the night he should have caught The thief had gathered all […]

Poem: Whisper Goodnight

Whisper Goodnight Now I’m strapped to the bark of Innocent trees While evil angels commit to do their Evil deeds They mock the obscenities of Torturing screams— And they sing me to silence with their Sweet lullabies As fire is already burning At my side And all I can do is Whisper goodnight As they angels burn down the trees.

Poem: Eleven Years

Eleven Years My love for you is unconditional However, so is my anger And I have waited eleven years For this devastation to be over But it has only just begun: The torture that makes me want to scream— And I just want to run away From this awfully dreadful scheme. Oh, how badly I wish you could redeem yourself And I’m sorry, but you took that chance away And whatever path you decided to take, You left me here astray. If only I can forgive you But forgiving you will make this true So I’ll pray for you to […]

Introduction: Innocence

Maybe it’s peculiar that I don’t feel ashamed. My beauties are noticeable, but I’m proud of them. Some have called me crazy and maybe always will, but I won’t hide from that label. If I’m crazy then is that pretty little girl, as innocent as it’s possible to be, crazy because she had “normal” ripped away? Any chance of living what some would call a normal life was shot away. Innocence was stolen from me and guilt shoved itself down my throat when my heart skipped a beat and I gasped for air. But maybe the air wasn’t poisonous after […]

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