6.19.2009

was it birth or was it death?

she sings she sings she sings her soul
even when she does not know the song

i will look you in the eye when we are talking
dearest darrelle taught me that,
and also a boy i know

"congratulations, class of 2006" (wasn't i just hearing that last month?)
what do three years mean?
days like this it seems the torah was literal in recording ages and years
"not one woman's life only, but a lifetime burning in every moment"

i only just met dr. delaney
he just convinced me to major in english
(and to think it felt so radical at the time!)

but tonight, it was goodbye.
goodbye, last undergrad essay
goodbye, london
goodbye, dr. delaney
goodbye (again), westmont.

~

"Ashes to ashes," a friend writes, "and all of life is leaving it. All of life is leaving it to find it again in something else. 'See,' Jesus says to me, 'don't I make all things new?' But what he means is, Don't I destroy all things to ash? Just when you're learning to love, don't I take it away, burn it, and smear it on your forehead in the shape of a cross?' "

Ashes to ashes. So we grow up.

2 comments:

Jenelle said...

You are so beautiful. I want you to write books upon books.

Joe said...

this is beautiful, of course. goodbye seems to be a theme of life, and of this year especially. i enjoyed (is that the right word) your reflections on it, and thank you for using mine (which incidentally made me cry a bit... is it weird when your own writing brings tears to your own eyes? does that ever happen to you? as if not only is it not your own words but those words understand you more than... well... not being understood.). to healing, again and again,
Joe