Abandoned, or: Never finished

Posted on by ben Alexander

Poetry Partners #81

‘Letter to a friend’, a poem by Filipa Moreira da Cruz of ‘De Malinha Pronta’

Dear friend,
I’m counting the days for Spring to come
You know I dislike Winter time
If you were here, we could stroll on the beach
Feeling free and released
Have I told you that I have a dog?
Poppy is sweet and strong
Do you remember
When we used to sing and dance?
Every moment together was a real chance
You were young and full of energy
Heaven took you away so soon from me
At night, I ask the stars
To guide you wherever you are
I keep the promise in your name
Although life will never be the same
One day, we’ll meet again
My dear friend.

A poem by ben Alexander of ‘The Skeptic’s Kaddish’

Dear friend,
I still think of you lovingly,
as I imagine others might relate
to their younger sisters.

After your death, I 
named my child after you; well, at least her 
middle name, as naming her Shaindel felt
to me rather presumptuous.

Dear friend,
At the back of my mind, knowing that you
had Eisenmenger Syndrome, I prepared
(subconsciously, mind you) for your much too
early demise.

I departed later
than planned for Israel, in order to
attend your wedding and was honored to
serve as one of your witnesses.

Dear friend,
I shall never forget that you drove from
Ohio to Massachusetts because
you wanted to see me on my summer
work trip, brief though it was. 

Driving gave you
a sense of freedom from your heart disease,
for your car was no slower than any
other, whereas your body was slowly
breaking down and betraying you.

Dear friend,
committing my myriad memories
to verse would be besides the point. Sushi,
Central Park, graduations, heart-to-hearts...

A poem is never finished, only
abandoned, says Paul Valéry, and though
I relinquish these lines, I shall cherish
your wise-eyed imprint upon me always.

Let’s write poetry together!

When it comes to partnership, some humans can make their lives alone – it’s possible. But creatively, it’s more like painting: you can’t just use the same colours in every painting. It’s just not an option. You can’t take the same photograph every time and live with art forms with no differences.

–Ben Harper (b. 1969)

Would you like to create poetry with me and have a completed poem of yours featured here at the Skeptic’s Kaddish? I am very excited to have launched the ‘Poetry Partners’ initiative and am looking forward to meeting and creating with you… Check it out!

List of Poetry Partners

31 thoughts on “Abandoned, or: Never finished”

  4. Both of these epistle poems dwell on the very sad topic of lives cut short and of leaving behind people who mourn their loss of company. As an aside I worked for a researcher studying Niemann-Pick disease. There is hope…

  5. Heartfelt; bittersweet; beautiful & evocative pieces of poetry that, as Dawn has mentioned, compliment each other perfectly David & Filipa. 😁👏👍👌I see you used 1 of my poetry quotes from the last poetry quote blog I did David! 😛😉😁

  7. Eish! Such a moving poem, David. I could relate having lost a dear friend immediately after campus. It was heart -jerking and a nearly cried all my tears out till he was buried. Too sad and unfortunate. Comfort and peace all the way, chum.

        1. The feelings are both
          And the both of you warmly embraced the sorrowful, longing and yearning for, missing you states
          Encapsulated never- to-forget -moments of lives loved and lived
          In the most gentle, cheerful and tearful words.

          You are both brave, courageous and wonderful. Beautifully harmonized.

  9. These are two very sad, yet heartfelt poems, and I’m so glad WordPress is a safe space for our most vulnerable feelings and treasured memories.

  10. The persistence of memories of those we’ve lost can be so enduring. These two poems are wonderful and so sorrowful, but the memories therein speak of such joyful things. Your collaboration is a tribute to both the memories of the lost and the compassion of the living. Well done, Filipa and David. 🙂

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