andclarkdimond

a little wake for a friend

You don't walk ahead of me

anymore nor do I feel you

beside me exactly but

sometimes you sing and

play guitar and talk

to me in the night

that's not

like those nights

I left text messages

and there were

too many unanswered

got worried about you

the rehabilitation you

had to do and your

long hospital nights when

you didn't call anymore

to talk about love

and life and the night nurse

and I couldn't feel you

anywhere and missed you

everywhere until finally

I tried your home phone

and persisted and talked

even when she tried to

hang up until she told

me you were gone and gone

since february and I wanted

to hug her and told her so

and she said I was sweet

but that's not quite all

because I wanted to

hug you too and talk again

laugh again say I love you

again I love you again and

again which is what I do

now that you joined

those in my slipstream

those in my night dreams

you're part of that now

and you see me too

while I tumble through

days without you

and yet again

we say again I love you

Author's Note

No punctuation means to read straight through, to only pause at line breaks.
Does this work for you?
Constructive comments are welcome.

Reviews

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"couldn't feel you anywhere and missed you everywhere" love that.
I know this is a personal piece, but somehow you touch others with a universality.
My best friend died in a fire in 1984...she was 27....played guitar, sang...we used to get together and play backgammon and talk for hours...
I still feel her everywhere...
thank you for this...i, too, mostly write without punctuation...it actually lets the reader punctuate as he or she interprets the piece as individual readers.
I like that...
j.

[LJ]

Thank you very much for both reading this piece and for your nice comment. You put a word on this I never thought could be there: "universality." Yet death is around most lives, so there we are. I'm sorry you lost your good friend, but I think it's good you feel like she's still around - with her guitar, and singing, just like Clark. Thanks also for answering the punctuation mention. I think none is usually the way to go with poetry. I like it too.

[Brian Shepard]

Yes dear, that works just fine. Lovely.

[Dave Brown]

this emphasizes the fragility of all things, relationships being near the top of the list.
But no punctuation! humm!

[LJ]

Yes, it does show that all things end. But what does "humm" mean regarding punctuation? XD Thanks much for your comment!

[Dave Brown]

That means it could be the easy way out for me
He said

[Samuel Dickens]

I feel your emotions in this. While there are some happy thoughts expressed, the overall mood is one of sadness and longing. If only we all could be so loved when we cross the lonesome valley.

[LJ]

My hope is that you are so loved yourself. I believe there are good things about many people, even if they don't know it; what you write tells me you're a good person. Yes, I miss my friend still, but I also kind of feel him here with me, sometimes. I'm glad you felt the things you did when you read this, and I thank you for reading and for your comment.