He died a year ago. My first friend. His birthday
was in July same day as my Aunt Blanche
he never remembered mine exactly
so we would both celebrate his and he would
write me a note on a beautiful paper engraved
I’d save them each year his handwriting
beautiful too he would tell me how long
we’d known one another what we each knew
sometimes he’d repeat a story from our childhood
the time Aunt Ida did this or that and I’d
write him the same sort of note he’d wanted to paint
like Oscar Kokschka I was going to be a writer
write about me he said more than once and the last time
we had lunch he asked what I was going to say.
It is very difficult to lose old friends. Their loss never diminishes.
You do honor to your friend Evan to remember him in your poem. If only we could speak at least once to a beloved friend to tell him or her how much we love them and what they mean to us. If only, they could speak to us, too.
Thank you Bill for your generous note. Maybe I will write letters to my friends who died. love to you both
Beautiful and heart breaking…
Just a followup to remembering a beloved person who is no longer among us: some years ago right before Father’s Day I was missing my father very much — I had lost him when I was quite young. I started writing a letter from him to me and to my brother in which I had him say all the many of the things we had longed to hear from him, but never had because of his early death. Things like he loved us and was proud of the men we had become. It helped me get somehow get through the day, but I continued writing letters to children (including me) trying to offer them words of encouragement they could call upon when needed. They eventually became a book, ”Words I Wish Someone Had Said to Me As A Kid,” and which can be downloaded for free at: https://www.makebeliefscomix.com/e-books-apps/ Just click on the book’s cover to download.
Letters are very important — they help hold us together. We mustn’t forget to write them.
what a beautiful beautiful idea. thanks for this bill. xxx