Sunday, May 3, 2009

Life in the present tense

Below is a poem written yesterday, Sunday May 3rd, whilst I was attempting some quiet Quaker reflection in a wet walk to Ben Buckler at the north end of Bondi, followed by a coffee or two in a very unquiet cafe. On Saturday we had a fabulous trip to the Blue Mountains and whilst we were eating our lunch we heard ' Time to Say Goodbye' on the C D player, which made us all, immediately, think of my cousin Sue's funeral. Loss and separation, goodbyes and hasta la vistas are emerging as a bit of a theme, I see, in my poems!

This poem is for Sue, and for Lyn's friend Annie and Susan's sister Linda, with love

Life in the present tense

Decaf skinny flat-white
Twice, in the noise and chat
Of families, friends met
In the Sunday café
Speedo’s, North Bondi Beach
And me, thinking, alone

Of 'Time to say Goodbye’
Sue, gone too soon before
The wonder of Freddie,
And others, now leaving
Fate having chosen them
At random, I suppose

As flies to wanton boys
All lottery and chance
Or god playing dice, eyes
Blindfold? Choose for yourself
Philosophy of Death
Life in the present tense

No rewind button or
Fast forward, how it ends,
Here and now all we have
To light our way, living
To avoid if only
That saddest word- regret

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