"Not Waving But Drowning" by Stevie Smith

Nobody heard him, the dead man,
But still he lay moaning:
I was much further out than you thought
And not waving but drowning.

Poor chap, he always loved larking
And now he's dead
It must have been too cold for him his heart gave way,
They said.

Oh, no no no, it was too cold always
(Still the dead one lay moaning)
I was much too far out all my life
And not waving but drowning.
(1957)

NOTE: This is about someone who felt "too far out" all their life. He/she did not fit in with other's expectations and efforts to live up to them were too exhausting. His/her drive or passion for life collapsed under the pressure and death became a form of release. Wonder how many people of this decade felt this way as proscribed roles for each gender were almost stifling.