What do you yearn for?
Here’s a little poem by Louise Glück that made me think twice…
Lament
Suddenly, after you die, those friends
who never agreed about anything
agree about your character.
they’re like a houseful of singers rehearsing
the same score:
you were just, you were kind, you lived a fortunate life.
No harmony. No counterpoint. Except
they’re not performances;
real tears are shed.
Luckily, you’re dead; otherwise
you’d be overcome with revulsion.
but when that’s passed,
when the guests begin filing out, wiping their eyes
because, after a day like this,
shut in with orthodoxy,
the sun’s amazingly bright,
though it’s late afternoon, September –
when the exodus begins,
that’s when you’d feel
pangs of envy.
Your friends the living embrace one another,
gossip a little on the sidewalk
as the sun sinks, and the evening breeze
ruffles the women’s shawls –
this, this, is the meaning of
“a fortunate life”: it means
to exist in the present.
* * *
From the beautiful collection:
July 31, 2022 at 5:57 am
Wow. This one really grabs you. Thank you for sharing. The photos are a perfect counterbalance.
July 31, 2022 at 6:20 am
Xoxo
July 31, 2022 at 8:04 am
A very moving and thought provoking piece.
July 31, 2022 at 8:17 pm
Xoxo
July 31, 2022 at 9:21 am
This morning I woke up to a message from a childhood friend that her mother had died. A group of us texted back-and-forth memories and condolences. Then I read this observant poem. The older I get, the more I’m struck by this dance between living and dying.
July 31, 2022 at 8:18 pm
Beautiful metaphor… the dance… and I’m sure your childhood friend was deeply grateful for your love this morning… xoxo
July 31, 2022 at 4:20 pm
So powerful! Such a struggle to live in the present.
July 31, 2022 at 8:19 pm
It is for me, Varina. The temptation is to toggle between the past and the future. I am trying to change my thinking. Xoxo
July 31, 2022 at 6:01 pm
My first thought was the exact same as Lawrence’s. Wow. Makes you think, doesn’t it….
July 31, 2022 at 8:19 pm
I’m glad to hear from you, Carolyn! And so glad you enjoyed this too. Xoxo
July 31, 2022 at 7:18 pm
So beautiful. Especially poignant after having experienced a funeral this week that took me back into another place, another time.
July 31, 2022 at 8:20 pm
xoxo