This is brilliant. Heartbreaking but at the same time, brilliant. I loved the way this treats grief as something you keep living with, not something you simply get over. The people are gone, but they never really leave the table. It felt very insightful. I found myself lingering on your sister's section. It speaks to the quiet heartbreak of losing someone twice: first as illness slowly changes them, then to death. I relate to that on a personal level.
Thank you for reading so closely and sharing your thoughts imi. I showed my kids Dead Poets Society, the scene where Keating is explaining Carpe Diem. They only knew Robin Williams for comedy, and not that beautiful, haunting scene. The macabre notion that "we're all food for worms" meets the celebration of life; not to clash, but to remind us existence is fleeting, ephemeral
Beautiful and heartbreaking ❤️🩹 the comment on antiques reminded me of my aunty snatching the rings off my grandmothers hand when she had just passed, laying still warm in the hospital bed.
Thank you Suzie. One of the more abstract ideas I wanted to present is that perhaps the departed can be as haunted by life and the living as they linger with us. Every case here illustrates in some small way that they leave behind something or someone, bereavement, pain, vice, regret. And that little 2 line intercession, where some of those same relatives acting like vultures dine at the table, was written with a very careful word selection. I tried not to convey bitterness and disappointment with the behavior of family, that carried themselves in such a despicable manner through life
This feels like far more than a poem, it reads as an act of remembrance. Every person at the table carries not only a history, but a presence that continues to shape the living.
The final promise of meeting again transforms grief into something unexpectedly gentle. A powerful and deeply moving piece. Thank you for sharing it.
Vivid and haunting. So relatable at some point and the idea of losing people and meeting them again and relishing a feast is a haunting yet cherished thought too.
I liked reading that. The way the dead are remembered, they way you note their appearance, affected by the manner in which they departed and how they gaze (or look away from) the life playing out before them.
Reminded me of my parents who were ex-communicated from the Catholic church and later welcomed back after my father's first wife died/ A very personal and well written poem/ I enjoyed
Thank you very much for saying so! It is a bit of a departure for me, and I wasn't sure how it would be received. I appreciate you reading, and your words!
Thank you so much. This was something different but I wanted to try it. Evolution is an ongoing cycle, and sometimes I feel my work getting formulaic and trite, so a little shock to the system is in order. I appreciate you, thank you again for your very kind words 😊
What moved me most is that this never feels like a catalogue of deaths—it feels like a catalogue of relationships. Each person is remembered through a detail only someone who truly loved them would preserve: a laugh, a habit, a phrase, a recipe.
Those small particulars quietly argue that while a life ends, its imprint on others often doesn't...
WOW. What a beautiful tribute to the people in your life who are no longer with you. Not a "pleasant" read but an open, honest, moving one well worth the read and time. Thank you Mike, Fondly, Michael
Man your words brought water to my eyes on this sunny day… I’m not sure what else to say… apart from my heart felt every memory written via your pen great poet. ✍️ 🌌
Thank you Megan! Death shapes our lives, but I think remembering the departed, and how we carry their actions and efforts into the present and future with us, is vital to healing.
The grandmother stanza gets me the most, perhaps for the longing of how it should have been as much as for how it was. Lovely writing, dark and poignant. I look forward to reading more. 🐦⬛
Dead remembered, as befit the manner in which they conducted their lives. For ill or for good, lingering in the memory daily. I quoted the restraint line, because the poem itself observes, rather than sit heavily in judgement. Nicely done.
What stayed with me was how you gave each person their own story before they took their place at the table. By the end, it felt less like a poem about death and more like a tribute to the lives that continue to shape us. Thank you for sharing such a moving and beautifully written piece.
This is brilliant. Heartbreaking but at the same time, brilliant. I loved the way this treats grief as something you keep living with, not something you simply get over. The people are gone, but they never really leave the table. It felt very insightful. I found myself lingering on your sister's section. It speaks to the quiet heartbreak of losing someone twice: first as illness slowly changes them, then to death. I relate to that on a personal level.
Thank you for reading so closely and sharing your thoughts imi. I showed my kids Dead Poets Society, the scene where Keating is explaining Carpe Diem. They only knew Robin Williams for comedy, and not that beautiful, haunting scene. The macabre notion that "we're all food for worms" meets the celebration of life; not to clash, but to remind us existence is fleeting, ephemeral
Beautiful and heartbreaking ❤️🩹 the comment on antiques reminded me of my aunty snatching the rings off my grandmothers hand when she had just passed, laying still warm in the hospital bed.
Thank you Suzie. One of the more abstract ideas I wanted to present is that perhaps the departed can be as haunted by life and the living as they linger with us. Every case here illustrates in some small way that they leave behind something or someone, bereavement, pain, vice, regret. And that little 2 line intercession, where some of those same relatives acting like vultures dine at the table, was written with a very careful word selection. I tried not to convey bitterness and disappointment with the behavior of family, that carried themselves in such a despicable manner through life
Goddamn Suzie that's intense. Pancake, I was just gonna comment on how tranquil your voice is here. It all came across free of judgment.
🙏🏻 thank you Y R! Much appreciated
This feels like far more than a poem, it reads as an act of remembrance. Every person at the table carries not only a history, but a presence that continues to shape the living.
The final promise of meeting again transforms grief into something unexpectedly gentle. A powerful and deeply moving piece. Thank you for sharing it.
Thank you Antonio!
Vivid and haunting. So relatable at some point and the idea of losing people and meeting them again and relishing a feast is a haunting yet cherished thought too.
Thank you Naman!
My pleasure!
I liked reading that. The way the dead are remembered, they way you note their appearance, affected by the manner in which they departed and how they gaze (or look away from) the life playing out before them.
Outstanding work.
Thank you very much Gary!
Remembering the loved ones
Kindles back all the memories in a fillet of seconds
With a pain that can ever be healed
Niceeeeee pancake
Thank you V S
Reminded me of my parents who were ex-communicated from the Catholic church and later welcomed back after my father's first wife died/ A very personal and well written poem/ I enjoyed
Thank you William!
This was one of the most interesting and amazing pieces I’ve seen on here. You are a legend as usual. 🫡
Thank you very much for saying so! It is a bit of a departure for me, and I wasn't sure how it would be received. I appreciate you reading, and your words!
You always offer an unexpected talent with your work. It was real and raw. I appreciated it.
Thank you so much. This was something different but I wanted to try it. Evolution is an ongoing cycle, and sometimes I feel my work getting formulaic and trite, so a little shock to the system is in order. I appreciate you, thank you again for your very kind words 😊
What moved me most is that this never feels like a catalogue of deaths—it feels like a catalogue of relationships. Each person is remembered through a detail only someone who truly loved them would preserve: a laugh, a habit, a phrase, a recipe.
Those small particulars quietly argue that while a life ends, its imprint on others often doesn't...
Thank you Adrien
WOW. What a beautiful tribute to the people in your life who are no longer with you. Not a "pleasant" read but an open, honest, moving one well worth the read and time. Thank you Mike, Fondly, Michael
Thank you Mike, glad you enjoyed!
Man your words brought water to my eyes on this sunny day… I’m not sure what else to say… apart from my heart felt every memory written via your pen great poet. ✍️ 🌌
Thank you Lyon!
No doubt, this was powerfully executed and landed on the heart strong.
Loved this line:
The table is full of nebulous faces
Forgotten with age or distance
While others resolve from the ether
With terrifying clarity
How those around us have shaped us and created the landscape in which we find ourselves.
Thank you Megan! Death shapes our lives, but I think remembering the departed, and how we carry their actions and efforts into the present and future with us, is vital to healing.
So wonderfully put
The grandmother stanza gets me the most, perhaps for the longing of how it should have been as much as for how it was. Lovely writing, dark and poignant. I look forward to reading more. 🐦⬛
Thank you, Shadow
Wow your words never fail to touch me. Beautiful but also heartbreaking. We learn about your family and the part they all played over the years.
Thank you for once again sharing with us your amazing beautiful talent that touches the soul💕🌷💓💗💝
Thank you 🙏🏻
'The hole in his temple
A silent testament
To the wisdom of restraint
And forbearance' 🤣
Dead remembered, as befit the manner in which they conducted their lives. For ill or for good, lingering in the memory daily. I quoted the restraint line, because the poem itself observes, rather than sit heavily in judgement. Nicely done.
Thank you Roger
What stayed with me was how you gave each person their own story before they took their place at the table. By the end, it felt less like a poem about death and more like a tribute to the lives that continue to shape us. Thank you for sharing such a moving and beautifully written piece.
Thank you Claudia!
You’re welcome!