Two decommissioned robots travel from their tiny apartments in Seoul to Jeju Island. One of them wants to see fireflies again before her system shuts down. The other wants to reunite with his former owner, who is also his dearest friend.

The trip does not go exactly as planned. (When do they, ever?)

They find something other than what they sought. (Do we even know what we’re looking for, most of the time?)

You could call it a happy ending – in the right light. Rumor has it that the characters play the ending differently, depending on the night.

My older daughter and I love the musical so much that we’re going to Jeju Island ourselves. I wonder what we will find.

***

My friend Jack Barnwell’s wife of 49 years died suddenly several weeks ago. An aneurysm felled her – silently, quickly.

Beth earned her PhD in Mathematics at UNC-Chapel Hill in four years in the 1970s, extraordinary then and even now. With a brilliant intellect, she was remembered by all for her kindness. Beth had one characteristic response to adversity: “Onward!” Her dear friend encouraged us at the service to remember that.

Her daughter Leigh read a poem memorized long ago, one of her mother’s favorites. It surprised me that it had been one of Beth’s favorites, given what I knew of her. Beth seemed always composed and calm. Some time ago, she had chosen it to be read at her funeral. It was a blessing to me and perhaps will move you too, especially right next to the E.E. Cummings poem she had selected.

Here they are:

Prayer for These Days
By Anna McKenzie

We did not want it easy, God,
but we did not contemplate
that it would be quite this hard,
this long, this lonely.
So, if we are to be turned inside out,
and upside down,
with even our pockets shaken
just to check what’s rattling
and left behind,
we pray that you will keep faith with us,
and we with you,
holding our hands as we weep,
giving us strength to continue,
and showing us beacons
along the way
to becoming new.

***

i thank you God for most this amazing
By E.E.Cummings

i thank you God for most this amazing
day:for the leaping greenly spirits of trees
and a blue true dream of sky;and for
everything
which is natural which is infinite which is
yes

(i who have died am alive again today
and this is the sun’s birthday; this is the
birth
day of life and of love and wings:and of
the gay
great happening illimitably earth)

how should tasting touching hearing
seeing
breathing any—lifted from the no
of all nothing—human merely being
doubt unimaginable You?

(now the ears of my ears awake and
now the eyes of my eyes are opened)

 

***

Photo by Jack Barnwell: View from Tom’s house with storm approaching

 

Photo by Jack Barnwell: Venus, the moon, and Jupiter in alignment at the lake

 

Photo by Jack Barnwell: First hummingbird of the season

***

For more about Beth Goldston Barnwell, see her obituary here.

Complete poem by Anna McKenzie here.

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Pepper and Poems

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