My new poem: Release

[CaliforniaPeggy]

he holds out his hand
speaking gently
from beneath the cloak that hides him
come with me it’s time
and I know he’s right

it’s time to go
to let go of this world
to see what lies beyond for I am weary now
every breath comes with a price
every appetite burns as I feed it

he wraps his arm around me
I rest my weariness against his strength
no painful phantasm here
but a welcome companion coming to take me
home

and my release



© 2010 MLC

[OmahaBlueDog]

1. Not bad..

..it's kind of death re-envisioned as helpful - like a nurses aide.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. My dear OmahaBlueDog...

I appreciate your comments...

This came to me the other day, and I just latched onto it. It's not a view you get every day.

[Terra Alta]

2. I love it.

Probably your best yet.. it's very comforting...

[CaliforniaPeggy]

4. My dear Terra Alta!

I had this vision of death as a comfort the other day...

Glad you enjoyed it...

Thanks, sweetie!

[Amerigo Vespucci]

5. "every appetite burns as I feed it..." Ain't THAT the truth, CP...ain't that the truth.

Half of my appetites should have a sign hanging around their necks like those "Don't feed the (fill in the blank)" signs at the zoo.

:eyes:

:toast:

[CaliforniaPeggy]

6. My dear Amerigo Vespucci!

Indeed!

Funny...before I looked in here to see who had responded, I saw your latest haiku post...and I KNEW it was you!

Thanks for coming by, sweetie!

:hi:

[Chan790]

7. I like it.

Actually, it disturbs me a little but I like it anyways. I'm not okay with death.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

8. My dear Chan790...

I understand just where you're coming from...

I've never been comfortable with death either....until I wrote this.

A few days ago, I had a vision of death like the one in this poem, and it appealed to me...

It appealed to me so much that I decided to write about it in this manner.

I know I can face death if it's like this...

I'm glad you like it, even though it disturbs you...Thank you.

[pgodbold]

9. Uplifiting and very real ... at least to me.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

10. My dear pgodbold...

I thank you...

It felt very real to me as well...

I'm so glad you found it uplifting too. I wanted to show that we need not be afraid of death...

[cwydro]

11. I'm one of those people

who is not good with death...

I mean why is he wearing the cloak anyway? I know; it's the unknown...but still.

I'm not comfortable with it.

But I like the poem and the words. It made me uncomfortable, so you did well (if you know what I mean).

[CaliforniaPeggy]

12. My dear cwydro...

Ah, he's wearing the cloak because that's how he's been portrayed...you know, the hooded figure. I did leave out the scythe.

I'm glad you liked the poem anyway...and yes, I know exactly what you mean.

Thanks, sweetie...

:hug:

[cwydro]

13. I knew you would know what I meant.

Yeah, I'm not wild about the scythe either, though when one thinks about Vietnam, Irag, Afghanistan...it seems appropriate, sadly so.

How is the class coming along?

[CaliforniaPeggy]

14. I understand you very well!

The class is good; tomorrow I'll find out how I did on my first paper...

[Systematic Chaos]

15. Release, release.

Enough, controllers!
Show some signs of appreciating loyalties!

[Swede]

16. Nice poem Peg.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

17. Glad you liked it, my dear Swede...

[MiddleFingerMom]

18. I didn't know HOW I would react to death until I died two years ago...

.
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...just for a very short time in the ER... but somehow I was very AWARE that
I was dying -- suddenly and painlessly. My biggest fear about this had been
that, out of fear, I would reveal to myself that I had been nothing but a
hypocrite -- that I would call out for Jesus and repent in desperation.
.
Didn't happen. My single overwhelming thought was simply, "It's OK. It's OK."
.
.
.
.
.
So, at that very telling moment, I didn't channel Jesus.
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I think I was channeling Kurt Vonnegut.
.
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:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
.
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My dear CaliforniaPeggy -- this is EXCELLENT.
.
.
As with your Alzheimer's poem, you evoked memories of MiddleFingerMomMom's passing.
.
.
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She was VERY ready... and her belief system was that friends and relatives would
be waiting to embrace her on the other side.
.
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She was tired. She was ready. It was peaceful and good.
.
.
.
I HOPE she had such a comforting presence to help her make her journey.
.
.
.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

19. My dear MiddleFingerMom!

So good to hear your thoughts...

Kurt Vonnegut???

Okay...

I hope your mom had a comforting presence to help her, too...I want that for all of us.

I thank you for your praise. You always speak your mind, and I know I can trust you...

:hug:

[kimi]

20. Ah, CAPeggy

I'm in kind of a sad mood tonight, so this makes me sort of melancholy. But I totally understand the weariness and wanting to let go of the pain. Not that I'm ready to do that, but I get it. "A welcome companion coming to take me home" - yes, that's how it should be. I've seen people and animals pass, and I hope beyond hope that that's how it was for them.

Thank you, for once again giving me a reason to think beyond my own thoughts, if that makes sense. :)

[CaliforniaPeggy]

22. My dear kimi...

I knew when I posted this one that it was melancholy. But I hoped that people would see beyond the sadness to the release of pain...

And that they could see death in a less scary way...I know writing it, and continuing to read it, have helped me do that.

Your thoughts do make sense, to me anyway! Thank you for sharing them, sweetie...

:hug:

[grace0418]

21. Lovely Peggy.

I hope that's true, like hospice on the other side.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

23. My dear grace0418...

I hope it's true, too...

I'm glad you found it lovely!

Thanks...