Never the same man, Part 2, with Paul chatting with co-survivor David Moore on his son's cardiac arrest, recovery and journey to healing though the creation of a book - "Never the same man." This volume captures the words and images that enabled Richard to communicate with his family how he was feeling. Finding creative writing, first through scrambled thoughts on scraps of paper and then into fully formed poems, Richard has captured many of the thoughts and fears, trials and tribulations of being a cardiac arrest survivor. The book is co-authored with his father, David Moore, who is interviewed in this episode and conducted many of the dialogues that went into forming the core of the book. This episode contains several of Richards read by the author, and they can also be seen in video form on Richard's YouTube channel.

Heart Breaks

Shit, here we go again, digging heels in to resist, dragged to the edge, hoping people don’t see the cliff.

My voice starts to waiver, eyes fill with dread, hairs on my back, like needles in my head.

Stop stop please stop, take another breath, swallow down the sad, compose back to myself.

It was a simple question, tell me how are things, nails dug in my palms. Sirens start to ring.

Things get easier with time, and oh you’ll be fine. Clearly all just lies, aiding the disguise.

But this time there’s no masking, tears down my face, in the head teachers office, let me out this place.

It’s just a conversation, with a million people listening, uncomfortably sitting, changing my position.

Record button rolling, the stampede has begun, the horse left with out the carriage. Should I just up & run?

The breaks of my heart, shudder to a stop, my heartbreak tale, wish I could swap.

Here comes the wave, that knocks me off my feet, tumbling in the undertow, palms the hottest heat.

I’m falling apart, for everyone to see, a fully grown adult, it’s not how I should be.

Would you like to take a break, a sympathetic voice, the sad doesn’t really stop, I don’t get that choice.

Can I take a break from it all, go back to the time before, before all the mess, before the closing of the door.

I should have know better than to think I’m ok, the overwhelming dark it never goes away.

Feeling quite embarrassed, a pausing of the show, handing me a tissue, not how it’s supposed to go.

Stop button pressed, this is as far as I can take. The end of the line, my story of heartbreak.

See Richard's YouTube Channel for more of his poems and videos

Purchase the book at neverthesameman.co.uk – Never The Same Man

Recorded and edited by Paul Swindell, 2025

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