Thursday 22 February, 2007
Poetry Thursday
Todays prompt is: the body knows
A few days ago, the 17th of February, was the anniversary of my father's birth in the year 1920. Today, 22 February, 2007 marks the anniversary of his death at age 58 in 1978.
Friday , March 12, 2004 I wrote a letter to my father and shared with him my feelings surrounding the time of his death. When I read Liz Elayne's suggested "totally optional" prompt for today: the body knows, I knew immediately that I would share the letter here on PT. It is edited into poetic form here with out the loss of any meaning and perhaps it has been enhanced.
Dear Dad,
I'm hoping that you are still in tune
With our earthly endeavors.
Is heaven really UP there?
Is that what it's called?
Rhetorical? Perhaps.
Answer if you can.
I'll try to open up and be receptive.
It's been a long time,
in earthly terms, since
We've talked.
The last time we met face to face
Was on 17 February, 1978.
My memory, vague at times,
Recalls it thus;
It was your 58th birthday.
I had driven into town early
Hoping that we could share
A cigarette, a cup-a, and
A moments conversation.
Driving up I found
You leaving for school.
You said you were going early
To study before class.I wished you a happy birthday.
We agreed to get together
At some other time.
Neither of us knew
That would be the last we
Would ever speak to each other.
It really was unlike me
To do something like that;
Drive down early to have coffee
before work. Was it fate?
Coincidence? I don't know,
I don't really care. I did it
And I'm thankful I did.
the body knows!
Three years; 1975-1978.
Were the best we ever had.
We became friends, shared
Adulthood, and respected each the
other, man to man.
We were proud of each other
for the accomplishment we made.
Your graduation from Junior college
age 57 with honors
stood me in awe.
I thought; "how wonderful that you
Were using your brilliant mind
To it's capacity."
Proud; "thats my dad."
The tragedy of your
Untimely death
tempered by the fact
that you died in the center
Of academia.
No better place for you
To leave from..
P.S. By the way,
If you don't want these letters;
Just send them back ;-))
rel
Labels: Poetry Thursday "the body knows"
posted by rel at 4:18 AM
41 Comments:
Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, Rel. Thank you so much for sharing your letter...it is such a personal thing for you, from the heart. Thank you.
Fate...yes...there is such a thing as 'fate'.
Hi man!
So lovely :)
What a great thing to share... How funny that you should have gone to meet your father at an unusual time- something you would not normally have done. As you said, the body knows...
(((Rel)))
A wonderful and moving tribute to your father. Thank you for sharing what your body knows.
Rose
xo
Morning Rel,
I often wonder about things like this. Thank you.
Beautiful. And so healthy for you to do that – to write to him like that. In doing so you are both a good son and a good father to yourself. – A well earned and deserved hug for you sir – (((REL)))
This is so beautiful. What a wonderful tribute to your dad. Funny how anniversaries will bring up remembrances for us.
What a nice letter to your Father Rel. You lost him way to young...I lost my Dad at 63, to young too. Im sure your Dad is up there smiling and saying to himself " that my boy Rel!" Thank you for sharing it!
This brought a tear to my eye. A wonderful tribute to your Dad and yes you must somehow have known something to go for coffee like that...
Beautiful letter to your dad. It brought tears into my eyes. I have a feeling your dad wants those letters from you.
gautami
In-between state of consciousness
Very beautifully written. So glad you shared those three years before your fathers death. I'm sure he's "up" there or wherever, smiling at your poem.
You have touched all of us in many ways. (I almost posted a poem I wrote several years ago about my dad's death). I think it was Theodore Roethke who wrote "we learn by going where we have to go." So true.
Wow--very touching memories, and it does work well as a poem, too. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Very touching, rel... I love that you wrote your dad a letter. My dad's been gone for 4 months now- I hope there will come a time when I can write to him as well. Thank you for sharing this and also for the inspiration...
Rel, what a beautiful and poetic letter. I feel graced that you shared it, so thank you. Honestly, I am entirely fascinated with how the body always does know death better than we do ourselves - so many of these uncanny stories I hear - I am so glad you were "open and receptive" to what the body told you to do that day.
Thank you...
This is sad and beautiful at the same time, I'm glad you got to see your dad one last time even if only for a few minutes. You feel about your dad the way I feel about my mum I think - a great friend as well as a beloved parent.
Rel, this is a truly beautiful poem that brought tears to my eyes. What a magnificent tribute to your father and to your special relationship!
Rel, this was a touching poem and you were right, it was enhanced by poetic form. I'm sure he heard it from your heart where he is.
that was incredibly moving - thank you for sharing it xo
This is so beautiful, I'm literally moved to tears. There's such love here, such sensitivity and understanding - you are truly incredible.
Poignantly shared, full of love and substance! It’s touched me beyond words. Your dad would have been a year younger than mine! He was 66 when he passed. Too young for both! The invisible thread of knowing! Wonderful tribute, as always a fine read!
Hugs Sherrie
Wow. Just wow. That was so nice.
Such a lovely way to honor a father. Rel this was beautiful and touching and so hopeful.
This is beautiful and works very well as a poem. A wonderful use of the prompt and a gift to all of us reading it.
Wonderful. I dread the day I'll be writing letters to my dead father. I hope I do it as well.
This poem filled me with yearning.I never knew my dad well enough to write a letter full of loss and life. I envy you.
Very powerful, Rel. Makes me think about the death of my own father and what it all means to me now.
What to say? A moment of silence for the literary pleasure to wash over me, and also out of respect.
Rel, I was so moved by this graceful and thoughtful poetic tribute to your relationship with your dad. Beautifully written :)
I like to lurk here, commenting occasionally as you know.
But todays post was exceptional. Most of yours are, but today, you moved me to tears.
Thank you.
xo
This is so wonderful; I'm really having some trouble swallowing at the moment. I'm happy for you that your body did take over that day and lead you to where it knew you needed to be.
Rel, why is my computer screen all blurry?
This is one of the most moving posts I have read in a long time. You have honoured and remembered your father so perfectly - he would be so very proud.
Beautiful Rel, and written from the heart. Just in that one little poem we could sense everything you felt about your father. You look very much like him and I know how proud of you he is still! xox
this is what writing is all about-awesome and beautiful. i have never thought about writing my deceased father a letter but it sounds like a brilliant idea. so emtional-i really felt this deep in my being.
Rel, I left a comment on this post ages ago ... but when I check again, it's not there. I seem to have trouble with comments 'taking' sometimes - whether I forget to check that the word verification believes me, I dunno.
ANYWAY - I am here again to say that this is a touching letter to your father anad one in which I can identify having lost my Dad when he was aged 48. He too was born in 1920. I too wrote my dad a letter (a while agon now). But this makes me want to write him another.
(Now this time I will make sure the word verification believes I can read!)
Just beautiful, Rel. That letter tells so much of the relationship you had with your dad. It's such a shame he died so young...and it certainly seemed as if your body knew.
Hope all is well with you, my friend.
xo
I can only echo what others have said. This is just beautiful.
Oh Dear Rel,
To say I'm "moved" doesn't begin to describe my feelings! Like you, and like many others, I get those "feelings" that can't be explained... I'm so glad you saw your beloved dad ON his birthday for happy and special times. Your sense of humor in the last stanza is you.
Although, you keep your poem upbeat, there is no denying the heartache of losing a parent so young and in an untimely fashion. It must be hard in recent years, too, as you have passed the age he died. Somehow I think you are strong and optimistic, the type of man your dad IS proud of.
Hugs to you,
GeL
I was thinking the same thing, that losing your dad at such a young age, his and yours, must have been such a difficult thing. What a wonderful tribute to him and the fact that your intuitive action left you with a wonderful memory to hold on to! Thank you so much for sharing. This prompts me to write a letter to my dad, who is still living, but we don't see each other often enough (he lives in West Virginia & I am in Michigan).
I'm so sorry for your loss. I lost my mom a year ago, too, this past weekend (Feb. 25th). It's strange that the date can sometimes be etched in our minds like that. We're never quite the same afterwards, either.
I love this poem. I think it was quite succinct and moved well. The "body knows" part is not as effective as the earlier stanzas.
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