lindsay-kemp-moving

Lindsay Kemp died

And with him

A torn piece of time

From the quilt of

Those rare beings who are irreplaceable

I wonder at, the length of a life

Seeing some eek out forever

Living fossils unable to pass

Whilst others seem more

Moth to flame

Their brightest extraordinary

The arc to eventual dim

Inevitable

We all perish

But some burn so bright when alive

Even in death they ecclipse

Ordinary forms

It is those extraordinary beings

We cleave to and covet

For in our own search for meaning

They fulfill the dark spaces of our need

Like arrows pointing to starlight

We dance when they come into our orbit

With the flow of children

In the witness of wonder

Lyndsey Kemp died

Images in my mind whirl

Of a young Kate Bush dancing

My own outstretched hands in ballet theater

As he strode poised and strong backed across stage

Like he owned and bequeathed

All the oxygen in the house

And indeed he did

Indeed he did

(For Tim)

15 Replies to “In the witness of wonder”

  1. Stunning poem. Cleave and covet is a great pairing, since cleave can mean “join together” as well as “cut apart.” And coveting is more than envy… it’s a zero-sum wanting to take away what someone else has. Lots here to untangle, Candice. Well done.

  2. Indeed, there is no rhyme nor reason why some miserable souls seem to live forever, making othersโ€™ lives as miserable as their own, oft times, while those cherished among humanity too often fizzle out oh so early. Maybe that is so that we will love and cleave to the dearest with greater passion while theyโ€™re among us. Yet, I doubt that. Too often they vanish before we recognize how dear they are.

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