I ... entered the poem of life, whose purpose is ... simply to witness the beauties of the world, to discover the many forms that love can take. (Barabara Blackman in 'Glass After Glass')

These poems are works in progress and may be updated without notice. Nevertheless copyright applies to all writings here and all photos (which are either my own or used with permission). Thank you for your comments. I read and appreciate them all, and reply here to specific points that seem to need it — or as I have the leisure. Otherwise I reciprocate by reading and commenting on your blog posts as much as possible.

11 January 2016

If I’d been at home when Bowie died

I’d have raised a glass
played his music loud

lit a new white candle
let it burn all the way down….

As it was, I said a prayer
silently in my mind

I posted a notice
on facebook

but first of all
I cried

just as I would have done
if I’d been at home when he died.



(I was on holiday, staying with other people. Not quite the same opportunity to pay tribute via ritual.)

 Linking this to the Tuesday Platform for 12 January at 'imaginary garden with real toads'
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16 comments:

  1. Sherry Blue Sky12 January 2016 at 02:50

    Poignant and beautiful, Rosemary. It would have been a fitting tribute - as is this poem. He would have loved it.

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  2. Rob Schackne12 January 2016 at 04:47

    Gone he is, but the music stays with us. Lovely poem.

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  3. Marian12 January 2016 at 22:38

    So modern, "I posted a notice on Facebook." It is a different kind of mourning, I think. I had to resist going maudlin with constant refreshing and looking for new posts. Weird.
    I wonder how many people are posting internet tributes to David Bowie? A huge number, I bet.

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  4. colleen13 January 2016 at 01:23

    Nice tribute. Check out his video Lazarus his video song about his death.

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  5. brudberg13 January 2016 at 02:08

    I think this is more or less what we all did.. but we are fortunate as poets to be able to put it in words...

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  6. Mark Kerstetter13 January 2016 at 04:48

    Ah, that's beautiful....

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  7. ScottlB13 January 2016 at 05:53

    Beautiful tribute, to a great performer.

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  8. Gillena Cox13 January 2016 at 10:15

    This is so sweet

    Much love...

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  9. Jim13 January 2016 at 12:37

    You did the best thing you could for him. What were your hosts' feelings about Bowie? 69 isn't so very old these days if one has taken care of his/her body right. That was my lament, he died way too soon for a person of his talents. "Ch, ch, changes ..." has been going through my head a lot today.
    ..

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    Replies
    1. Rosemary Nissen-Wade13 January 2016 at 16:11

      My hosts were saddened too, and remarked that it was 'too young'. But they didn't have any candles for me to light, and did have an 11-year-old daughter present. Family life cannot pause entirely for the tragedies of celebrities.

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  10. Outlawyer14 January 2016 at 02:08

    Can understand the differences in traveling and at home and the samenesses too. K.

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  11. Magaly Guerrero14 January 2016 at 03:34

    I lit the candle for us both, and jammed his tunes while old memories ran down my cheeks... ♥

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  12. Rommy15 January 2016 at 06:21

    In this age of social media there is public grief, which helps us feel less alone in our sadness. But it certainly does not take the place of the quiet grieving we do in our hearts.

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  13. kaykuala21 January 2016 at 17:29

    Many of the older folks were taken by the grief.Apt tribute Rosemary

    Hank

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  14. kaykuala21 January 2016 at 17:30

    Many of the older folks were taken by the grief.Apt tribute Rosemary

    Hank

    ReplyDelete

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