Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Mandy

He was a teddy bear man
(at least in my mind)
Loved great writing and
Intellectual pursuits,
Conversation
Passionate about his
Beliefs and
Loved his parents
Easily accessed
The child in him
Could sit to play
With his nephews
As one of them
Not like a grown up
Feining interest
Was there every Christmas
Then,
Lost touch
For no good reason
Didn't even know
He wrote poetry
And now
He's gone

Written for OLN at dversepoets.com  dealing with the passing of a relative (three years younger than me) we used to know well, and then lost touch--we kept inviting, he didn't come, then we stopped inviting.  Just got a call that he passed away on Saturday.  And his cousins are the only living relatives, feeling sad and empty.

21 comments:

  1. Very sorry for your loss, Mandy. Have you had a chance to read any of his poems?

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    1. Hi Marilyn! Thank you. Yes, he wrote haiku and many were published:-)

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  2. Oh, this is sad. And to think that the two of you COULD have connected with your love of poetry is even sadder. Perhaps his poems will be an important legacy and can help you all get to know your cousin in this new way.

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    1. Hi Mary, yes it is very sad. It would have been nice to connect through poetry. I just found out that many of his poems were published and he had a website. So there is definitely a legacy :-)

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  3. This is sad news! It is a mystery why people disappear from our lives. I suppose in a way we always think we can get back in touch, until we realize it is too late.

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    1. Hi Gabriella, it was a mystery. Thinking about it now, I realize it happened after his parents passed. He was very close with them, perhaps the memories of being with them here were too painful. And we do always think we have second chances--astute observation.

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  4. So sad to read about his passing ~ I guess some are not keen on keeping the connections alive ~ Condolences to the family ~

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    1. Hi Grace! Thank you for the kind wishes. It is sad, we like to keep family close, but its not always up to you.

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  5. Sad to read about his passing away. Condolences.

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    1. Hi Abhra! Thank you very much for the visit and condolences. I'm usually more on the lighter side of things. Look forward to visiting you :-)

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  6. How very sad Sara!. Often times when after being long lost one gets connected again. Only to be deprived of the the good times when fate intervenes!

    Hank

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    1. Hi Hank! So sweet of you to visit. Your words are very true, sometimes fate intervenes with a good result and other times with a sad one. Thank you

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  7. This hit home for me. I left more than 30 years ago. Seldom hear from my immediate family, and never from cousins or extended family. No one even knows that I earned my Doctorate much less that I write poetry. I've reached out several times but no one even has any interest. At least you invited him back.

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    1. Stormcat, that is heartbreaking. Unfortunately, I see things like that happen in families all the time. My dad and brother didn't speak for 20 years, and then only because their parents had both died. Congratulations on getting your Doctorate! That is a huge accomplishment. I have friends who have gone through that and seen what it takes.

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  8. life happens fast you know....we are there enjoying life with them and then they are just a memory....gone and we dont even know why...have seen this several times in my life.....

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    1. Brian, the older I get the more I see this happen. Got to love 'em while you have 'em.

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  9. I had an uncle just upped and left, it left a hole. So this beautiful write touched a nerve

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    1. Hi Pea, thank you for the compliment and the empathy. Very sorry to hear about your uncle, that is sad.

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  10. he sounds like a wonderful person... so sorry for you loss sara - in a way it's normal that we lose touch with some people along the way but it's tough in the rearview when we know that there wasn't much time left

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Your words are wonderful! Thanks for popping in--I'll be over in a snap!