Blow Over
And nowhere to go—
Another bleeding Saturday
I’d usually spend
With you
In a steamy pub
With a piano player
Talking poetry—
But now you’ve gone and
Killed yourself
And wrecked my weekends
Permanently.
Stop haunting me
In the wind past
The window
Whistling down the years,
Walks by the pond
Drafty cars
And too many
Draft beers.
You killed yourself
And are gone
So stop harping
On my fears.
They say the dead walk
If they’re not at rest
But you never were
Happy in your flesh
And out of it
I can’t imagine
It’d go better
You’re just ashes now
Blowing over the house
In this cold weather…
Imperious Caesar,
dead and turned to clay,
Might stop a hole
to keep the wind away.
But you don’t want that
So, go away
Blow over, friend,
Continue on your way.
Wow, John! A beautiful example of letting go.
You admitted your anger at your friend's careless lifestyle that caused his death.....you said he killed himself and in a way he did, I know.
It makes a lot of sense that you miss him and are angry at him at the same time.
Maybe now that you've said it, he will rest in some sort of peace and you will be free of self blame —he didn't want to be saved.
and that is the truth. Thanks :)
That's a true @countrygirl I appreciate you 👍
This poem is bitterly beautiful, from the "other side" of death.
Sadness can be greatly misunderstood (having a mental health day doesn't solve the disconnect for those who don't understand what its like living it)
The friend's greatest war was probably the daily struggle with themselves.
But there is also the aftermath of that war.
And you have put it into a beautiful poem.
Always love reading your work
thank you @zoocatty for your perceptive and sensitive response
Loving it.
In my mind, when I read the words,
"Imperious Caesar,
dead and turned to clay,
Might stop a hole
to keep the wind away."
My mind's ear says,
"Might stop a hole
to keep the wind at bay."
Don't mind my mind...........
I love your poems.....
thanks, Katy - I don't mind - correct Shakespeare all you want :)
LOL :)
humbly, sorry, I know it's very cheeky
.....you could say it harks back to the "B" in blow in your title.....
actually, I probably just committed sacrilege, so yes, humbly sorry
no, not at all - the quote's from Hamlet - it's a T.S. Eliot thing - he'd often interpolate lines from Dante or Shakespeare into his poems without footnotes because presumably they're so well known...I did the same . I often update/edit quotes if I find the wording awkward or archaic lol
With regard to the subject of your poem, sometimes it's harder to stay alive. It takes time, but eventually the demons subside as we learn to love ourselves :) which doesn't mean I'm impervious to the pain of the friend that you lost, but I've walked in those shoes - and like myself much better than most people I've met :) I attempted suicide once, and as I lost consciousness, learnt that it wasn't the answer I was seeking....
thanks Katy - sorry about your pain but I'm glad you came through it - you have so much to offer
That's okay. I was 18. I'm a big girl now :) These things teach empathy.
:) even funnier. I didn't know the lines.....and I'm a fan of Shakespeare......
Nice ans sad poem.
Suicide sucks!
yes, I agree. It leaves the survivors devastated and often angry
I send loving thought to all that have lost a dear one to suicide <3
yes, thanks @lakshmi
The words are sweet to read..good silloutte.keep this up @johnjgeddes
Good poetry
thanks
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gd Poem
thank you
Wow
Thanks
I love this. Im am such a fan of your work now john and get this, after the last poem of yours I read, I have had the urge to listen to Jazz. That's when you know a piece of writing works. Something sticks