Saturday, August 01, 2009

Meditations on a Letter

For Wolfgang

I remember the letter you wrote to me,
After so many years of silence,
Four times A4 in fancy font
With drawings and photographs.
Your humour shone from every page,
Your love for your friends and their children.
I read each word and dwelt on it,
Remembering four summers ago.

I remembered the trip you took me on
Through the Antrim countryside –
Frm Ballycastle to Dunluce Castle
And the Carrick-rede rope bridge.
The motorbike sped along country lanes
As we roared our way down the beautiful coast.
We used any excuse to stop the bike
There were so many things to explore.

I remember now, hearing the news
That you had killed yourself,
Silence set in, a sense of shock
And a terrible feeling of loss.
You were always so alive,
More alive than anyone.
I find myself ask myself
What stops the rest of us?



reposted for Weekend Wordsmith

12 comments:

Paul said...

The last two lines complexify the thought considerably, Juliet. There is a real sense of careful control of the emotion throughout and then the last lines made the whole thing disconcerting like there is a dark force underlying it.

Tumblewords: said...

Ah, the question - what makes us so alike and yet not even close. This piece is full of the wonder, the joy of life and the dark of death.

Linda Jacobs said...

This is sad but beautiful! It's so hard to accept someone's decision to die but you did a great job showing us how he lived!

anthonynorth said...

Beautifully heartbreaking.

Andy Sewina said...

This really is a meditation on a letter and then some!

gautami tripathy said...

Beautifully poignant...

Jazzy Z

Anonymous said...

I think a possible reason why the famous poet liked this is because it is engaging. We ask why should such a person take their own life; they seem to have so much going for them. It's poignant and sad but, of course, we can't get inside someone else's mind; we can only go on one we see.

Catherine said...

Perhaps it's not one of your favourites because the emotions are still painful? The third stanza comes with a sense of shock, not hinted at in the first two. Many of us must have questions like this.

ladygarfield said...

very compelling, very heartbreaking!

Mary Stebbins Taitt said...

defintely heartbreaking! You're writing for those of us who have lost friends this way.

Crafty Green Poet said...

Thanks for your comments, everyone..

Catherine - I think you're partly right, also though i always think the rhythm in this is too jaunty for the subject matter...

Jeeves said...

Sad...The last two lines made me think