Pictures
Videos
After pressing the play button, you can left mouse button double click anywhere on the video to play full screen.
Ryan created by John Halligan (music by Elton John "The Last Song")
His Way by a Vermont student who wishes to remain anonymous
"Thank You Mr. Halligan" from Taylor
The Rock Underground Role Models Stop The Bully
Songs
- Ryan's Song by
Gabe Wright
- Children by
Hyro Da Hero
- Ryan Halligan by Travis Robertson of Murry Bergtraum HS, NYC
- Teenage Faults by Yami of the UK
Artwork
by Kelly Clarke
By
Aylssa Smail and Ashley Maass
Ashley and Alyssa of Commack, NY stopped by our home to deliver this beautiful
picture they both worked on together.
By Chelsea Sweeney
Chelsea Sweeney of Waldwick High School in NJ presented this
beautiful painting of Ryan to me on May 17, 2011.
By
Yasmin
Poems
There's never been a story
Quite as sad as yours I've heard.
There's never been a person
Who could move me with a word.
At times I almost wept for you,
But almost I do say
Because I didn't know you,
So my tears were kept at bay.
I listened quite intently
To the speaker up on stage
Recounting tales of sadness,
Of his pain and of his rage.
I couldn't see the feelings there
Or feel them in my heart
But I knew the pain of loss
And loss will tear someone apart.
As I got up and left that day
And went to class, I knew
I'd never let a person
Hurt someone as they hurt you.
by Kayla of Ipswich High School
__________________________
A person teased
No gain
A life lost
Clouds of tearful rain
Seen from the eyes of the blind
Heard from the ears of the deaf
One key to open the door
One door to let in the light
Be the key and save a life
To those lost when they could have been
saved
By Cassie Teschner
____________________________
The Story of Ryan and John Halligan
It’s just not right Ryan’s plight We must set our sights And try to see the light His situation makes me mad Simultaneously sad It’s easy to see He has one heck of a Dad It takes a lot of courage To do what you do Sharing your pain Trying to get through To other people So they don’t endure Your pain and suffering Your motives are pure I want to express Heartfelt gratitude Ryan’s story tears us apart Then puts us in the mood To find ways To be involved Complex problems we face But must try to solve So thanks for caring And thanks for sharing Ryan’s story with us This night in December His story is something I will always remember By Bob Lindsay
_______________________________________________________
Most things break, including hearts. The lessons of life amount not
to wisdom but to scar tissue and callous.
Falling
Through air, fog, haze
Feel the mist that comes
Before rain, the rainbow that
Hangs in two,
Velvet and broken
Beautiful and broken
Build promises,
Through the summer air
Watch them intertwine,
Before your eyes, watch them
Weave, intricate melodies
Through the wind
Each tendril clinging on
For life
Strong and broken,
Beautiful and broken
Hold the sky up
As it recedes, in delicate layers
As the storm comes and rain
Falls, reminding you of storms and arks
And autumn days when he used to sit
Beside the window, counting the
Raindrops, as they fall
Trembling and broken
Beautiful and broken
Breathe
In the heavy air
Turning you inside out,
Inside out. Feel it come down on the very
Spot of the hill you stood on, alone.
The place where the gale struck one fateful winter,
Where a yellow flower once stood,
Tender and broken
Beautiful and broken
Walk
Among the streets
That you once thought you knew
The railroad tracks, coated in gently
Falling snow. Watch your breath fog
Up the mirror as your sobs blur the lights,
A streetlamp standing, crooked
Aglow and broken
Beautiful and broken
“He’s lost a child” they whisper,
Voices finally heavy with regret,
But do they know
Love is a curious thing, like the petals of
A flower, lose them and you’ve lost yourself.
Watch it fly
Away in a single blink, a half-taken breath
Hollow and broken
Beautiful and Broken
Lie beside the window
With a finger pointing down on your heart;
How could you not know? How could you
Not see, beyond the light of day, into the night
Where that single hill stood
Isolated and broken
Beautiful and broken
Lapping
The anger against your heart
Obscuring your vision, your mind
Your grief, until you don’t know who you
Are, anymore. Until everything is gone and it’s you
And this frozen earth, you and the world, as he stands
Grieving and broken
Beautiful and broken
Speak
Your story, first a whisper,
A single word uttered, a line
Screamed, into the crowd. The rest comes easily,
Flowing on your lips like the torrents on an ocean wave,
Your only assuage.
Infinitely broken
Beautiful and broken
Thank
Him late at night for all he has given,
When you know it’s just the two of you
Speak not of loss but of hope, of wisdom,
Of scar tissue and callous. Of love. Whisper his name slowly,
In a single breath
Remember how he once stood,
Beloved and broken
Beautiful and broken
Think
Of him as your thoughts fade into dream
When you find yourself staring up at the sky,
At the stars that aren’t there anymore
When you tell us and we cry, too
Feel him in the air around you, heavy but so light
Once beautiful and broken, whole at last.
There is a tale that I have heard.
Hear tragedy of one who didn't endure.
And at the end they all cried.
Not one person was notified.
Killed by depression beyond belief.
Sorrow there was with no relief.
By: Robert Casino
"Why?"
Why did you do this?
You had to go away.
Not a word more to say.
The tears won't quit falling,
The most miserable thing.
Can you not hear me?
Your presence on earth,
Was as good as it gets.
A careless world,
Now filled with regret.
We'll always remember,
But never forget.
You could have had more time
To
be with the people you love
Not to be above
You could have gone far
College, career, marriage, baby
That could've been your life, maybe
It's okay though
We're doing good down here
So
don't worry, don't fear
Everyone knows your story
We're not mad at you
There's nothing we could do
We hope your joyful
Don't frown
Turn it upside down
Ryan
We
love you
And know you love us too
an innocent child,
scarred and hurt by cruel words
forgot the people that loved him most.
a bomb dropped,
on this beautiful family.
years later,
the tragedy still breaks hearts,
draws tears.
gone,
but not forever,
because the last words, the last goodbye,
will be the first hello,
when father is reunited with son.
Everyone has to remember this:
you mean so much.
you are loved and will always be loved,
that inkblots can be turned into butterflies,
beautiful butterflies of hope, and love.
to forgive and believe and know that
you are surrounded
by happiness.
would you kill someone?
because you can.
not with a knife
a gun
or your own two hands.
the words you say
your devious ways
makes somone's life a living hell.
you called him gay
the poor thing, poor thing.
you called him weak
the poor thing, poor thing.
you pushed him beyond his limits.
his life was taken
his own two hands
murder can be invisible
its happend.
it can.
but you can change it. change your ways.
brush away the rainy days.
apoiligize
for those evil ways.
because in the end, it realy pays.
and for all you poor things,
no more need for the sighs
i promis, promis that you will get by.
there realy is no reason to die
you can always turn a ink blot, into a butterfly
By Teresa Motherway
In Memory
of Ryan Halligan
Can I be the karate kid
Can I be your karate kid
Can I teach you a lesson
Can I reach your attention
It would be such a blessing
If I could puncture through that wall
And into your heart
Notice what you have
And that’s the ability to tear apart
A person’s strength
Ad I was strong
It’s just so much a person can take
And so much happiness a person can fake
It is not your fault
You didn’t understand
This is not what you planned
So say I’m sorry
And you are forgave
And I’m peaceful in my grave
Looking down at one I love
You’ve done so much
by
Arlyssa Hardin, Mansfield High School 1/23/2012
Additional Dedications
If you search for "Ryan Halligan" on YouTube you will find very touching videos created by students.