On Saturday, April 5, 2008, my friend and colleague Dr. David Goldstein passed away suddenly. When I got the news Saturday, it struck me that we were just talking about him in class last Wednesday, as the subject of my poem, IMPAIRED. Here is a poem I wrote for him that day. I knew if anyone could appreciate it, you guys would.
HEARTS
for David and Mom
Last night, the Poet said
Keep hearts out of love
poems. What about death?
Your death, your hearts
broken
still
bursting
when they did
with too much
love I
hope not
worry I
fear
We had our warnings.
Twinges, denied
as strain or fatigue.
Outbursts, we thought
all could be
controlled
on meds.
We didn't get a chance
to deny you
a third time.
No chance
for a poem
without
hearts.
2 comments:
wow. thanks so much for sharing this with us. i don't even know what to say but i think your poem captures your feelings about it very well. i particularly love the last part about not leaving a chance to write a poem without hearts, that hits it right in the gut. thank you.
I am so sorry for your loss, Dr. Basile. Your poem is so stark-- fragile and delicate. The line, "We didn't get a chance to deny you a third time." -- that must have been really hard to write. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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