Friday, January 25, 2008

Poetry Friday: Millay

So, why do I care that an actor who I never met died?

The same reason any death affects me. Oh, on one level, I think of the films I loved and the loss of a talent and the films that won't be made. On one level, it is the loss of a young man I never met, except thru film and photos. I don't know his family, his child, his ex-fiance.

But on another level, it's a reminder of other, more personal deaths; and the hurt and loss from those deaths, and the grief. And I feel terribly for the loss of this person I knew, but didn't, and for the heartache of his loved ones, who I don't know, but I know grief.

Anyway.

I always thought Edna St. Vincent Millay does loss well. From the website Poetry Out Loud.

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied

Time does not bring relief; you all have lied
Who told me time would ease me of my pain!
I miss him in the weeping of the rain;
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;

....

I say, “There is no memory of him here!”
And so stand stricken, so remembering him.

The rest of the poem is here.

Poetry Friday round up at Mentor Texts.

4 comments:

tanita✿davis said...

There are only a few poems that just striken me DUMB, they so reveal the bafflement and rage of grief. One is the Auden Stop All the Clocks, and this one -- this is another. The "you all have lied" is so very painful, and dredges up the memory of every other loss that someone tried to get you to take easily.

Wow.

jama said...

I agree with Tadmack. "Stop all the Clocks" hits the mark every time, and this one is so powerful and heartbreaking. Thanks for sharing.

Mary Lee said...

I, too, immediately thought of Auden.

Robin Brande said...

Wow. So beautiful. I've never read this--thanks for posting it.

I care that he died because it makes me mad when people of talent are so careless with themselves. Don't they recognize their duty to keep sharing that talent with us? So frustrating.