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I got hyacinths for you this year.
Did I know it would be so hard?
I sent them to my own address-
I don't know where you are.

My last life's sister, laughing shyly,
at odds we couldn't beat.
Remember me? I laughed too loudly
when they threw us to the street.

Come out under the lonely stars,
you've been gone now far too long.
My belly laugh betrays an ache
for everyone who's gone.

Come back without your suit of bone
and awkward breathlessness,
but bring your heart and braid your hair
into my restlessness.

When I see your name, Abby, I follow it... and, without fail, I find the rewards rich and sweet. This one takes my breath away in evoking my own, very personal losses. The way you who have merged the present and the past, the joy and the loss, in such a metaphysical way, is powerful.

The way you have woven reality and images and concepts in this verse is for me masterful.

Come back without your suit of bone
and awkward breathlessness,
but bring your heart and braid your hair
into my restlessness.

I'm sorry for your own loss, Abby... yet, my G~d, what a tribute to love you have created.
You are a beautiful being and so, clearly, was she.
Thank you for sharing this with us.


~ Lizzy

Beautiful poem Abby; well wrought, like all of your posts.

The last stanza is especially fine.

Beautiful words, much enjoyed.

Wow. Great.

abby wrote: but bring your heart and braid your hair
into my restlessness.

Abby I've come back to this poem a few times and have not yet commented as I keep thinking I'll come back when I've thought of the right words... well I'm back to it again and still without words that express my thoughts, so I'll just say that the above lines create a beautiful image that is felt and that the poem in it's entirety is very good and moved me.

cate

Lovely poem, Abby.
And lovely comment by Pema Chodren
Happy New Year

Sean

It's good to see your poem, again, Abby. Thanks, Juan, Gina, Cate, and daka.

I hope you're doing well, Abby.


Love,
Lizzy

You guys are great. I like this one but I like the last stanza best, and I think the rest of it should be as good as that last bit. I worked on it for kind of a long time- more than a year. It makes me think of Leonard and the slow process of producing a good line. Wasn't that line he sang for the first time recently, about letting the prisoner live, wasn't that excellent? I wonder how long it took him to nail that one.

I loved/love that line, too... reacted to it the same as you did.

On your poem, hard to discount the rest, but yes... your last stanza is great.

-Abby, this is a beautiful, heartfelt poem. The last stanza is lovely and riveting. Thank you for posting it.

but bring your heart and braid your hair
into my restlessness.

I'm with the others; beautiful poetry abby.
Also, your opening line "I got hyacinths for you this year."
took me immediately back to this beautiful old song.
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QZZGYn4PPkc) ("I won't send roses" sung by Robert Goulet)
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UD0LIkAe ... re=related)


thanks Abby!
MatbbgJ