When I Die

thank you KWP for giving me that last line and word on this one... it is changed from "falling" to "fading" ... it takes a village eh!? ;)

When I die

the lure was educational                                     

                                                        

She wasn't trying to open discussions

So                           I said nothing

She carried the weight 

all the  power in her favor

all the world  .................................................and

the passing are no matter                      at all   

                             really

calm hand       

                       spine tingling fingers        

                                                                 cold  wrapping those

finely tuned strings of spun corruption

 'round and round and 

                                                         around the whole of things                                                               

those                     specific colors and       feathered flavors  

those                     specific species                       in it 

from the beginning and

now the end

fading ...................  

E.

Author's Note

Reviews

[Paul Bell]

I was drawn to the title. Oh, how we avoid death at all costs, especially talking about it.
Death in Western countries is just taboo. Actually, I think we would rather say people expired.
I think it is brave to talk about it, maybe make the journey more bearable at the end.
Tough poem this one, a thought for the day.

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks so much Paul .. I think you are absolutely right .. we should talk about it along with every other important subject .. it is as natural as birth eh!? i think its the perceived unknown and expectation of loss as well as our own mortality that makes it difficult. With Faith our goal is reset beyond the grave .. we strive to live for others and do all we can to conform to the wondrous "Golden Rule" .. or we go destructive .. harming ourselves and others to one degree or another. With just that mustard seed of Faith we know well the confidence of 1Corinthians 15:55 "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?...." it goes on to say that the "sting" is caused by our sin .. our misunderstanding of what is really free and what isn't ... anyway ;) ... i really appreciate your review ... that it gave you pause .. to think and consider is more than i could hope for in a poem ... be well my friend and stay safe ...
E.

[Paul Bell]

I think it's a British thing, death is the person next door, he or she was old, so it was expected. We'll bow our heads and put it to sleep then probably go shopping to forget the experience.

[Einstein Noodle]

not just the Brits ;) ..............................

[Chris Shaw]

Read your poem three times Mr E. Can only comment on how it made me feel because I am unsure of your own meaning.

I thought of my grandmother. 'I am dying Chris', but I was 31 at the time, newly married and death was the last thing on my mind. Instead of listening to her, trying her hardest to tell me she thought her days were numbered, I dismissed it. You'll be fine Nan, I said. Now I wish I'd had the maturity to sit and listen. Maybe she was frightened, maybe she wanted to find out where I thought she might go. Anyway, it was a missed opportunity, to face something head on and discuss it in depth and I chickened out. When I die Mr E, I hope my efforts to say goodbye won't be brushed aside. She would have forgiven me because I was the bees knees as far as she was concerned. However, I haven't forgiven myself. That's where you took me my friend.

Chris

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my goodness, Christine .. how precious your memories .. even this one you mention of you and your Grand Mother .. of course she would forgive .. even say "what are you talking about" perhaps .. you bring up a very important discussion we all need to include right along with our politics our religion our music .. death and dying are just like a birth and should receive the same joyful recognition actually .. tho that is a bit altruistic of me ... as for meaning .. i couldn't feel more blessed by the one you have given it .. crazy as it may sound; but this small sharing you have given makes me kind of luv her too ... you be well young lady! keep staying safe and sound ... we are getting through this Covid nastiness, i think

[Chris Shaw]

Thank you dear Mr E. We are just easing out of lockdown. Three months of it. Our vaccination programme has been a huge success, and is on target for all adults to be vaccinated by July. Fingers crossed, but we won't be completely safe until world wide vaccinations have taken place. Having my second shot on Saturday. Keep safe and well.

[Einstein Noodle]

we shall call it Second Shot Saturday :))))))))))))))))i've had mine ... mostly sore arm with the second and perhaps a delayed lethargic day about a week later. It's not the end all but its going to help no doubt.

[Chris Shaw]

Ah yes, it will help and give us all more hope and confidence to venture out of the home:)

[Einstein Noodle]

absolutely! time to normalize .. get back to the work of living says i! :)

[Chris Shaw]

:)................

[sharonlee]

I find this thought provoking and intriguing and perhaps over my head!
Sharonlee

[Einstein Noodle]

not over your head Sharon ... you are too tuned in .. just thinking about death ;) love that you stopped to read and review .. sometimes my poems get a bit too abstract for any good ... i have always had to pull me self in a bit but sometimes when it feels right .. it feels right .. i am glad it inspired some introspection in you .. i do hope it reveals something positive and healing ;)
E.

[sharonlee]

... I don't fear the end so much, as fear how it will affect my children xx

PS I wrote and posted about a secret door in the back of a cupboard, and have you to thank for the inspiration:)

[Einstein Noodle]

i read it and love the concept

[sharonlee]

Yes, it was just a little whimsical fun.

[Lorry]

Randomly plucked from this incomprehensible consciousness we are allowed to know briefly, would be even more incomprehensible if at the end of an incomprehensible life, we expected death to make any more sense. Maybe those teachers were right and winning the race wasn't that important and that participation ribbon is what it is all about after all.
Not changing my ways E, or even mellowing.... Just sticking with the penguins being the answer, and won't you all look like fools when I am proven right and made human penguin god????
Okay! There's a small chance I've bet on the wrong horse, but let it roll! 😊
Ps.. Disclaimer.... Remember folks, the afterlife can go down as well as up. All prices correct at time of print etc etc.. 😊

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahaha love it sir! you made my day! yes .. incomprehensible at times at least in life .. in death .. we shall all see eh!? the greatest story ever told and only ticket to heaven is in the Bible so it says .. Jesus said "I am the way" .. all others claim to be prophets, teachers or the best of the "students" of the way. we shall see Mr. Penguin .. we are all gonna make the train for sure .. thanks for reading always Lorry .. i hope you gleaned some bit that satisfied.
E.

[Neville]

Something near perfect just fell onto the page from your pen my friend .. I am so glad you mopped it all up and hit the corresponding keys on your PC ......... words to die for and true :)

[Einstein Noodle]

ahahahaha yeah well ..i'm a mess .. no doubt about it .. thanks man .. your a corker!
E.

[Neville]

... maybe even more than just near perfect .. and I believe I do know where the inspiration for them came from .. remember, the corker is but a button away ..

N.

[Einstein Noodle]

thanks brother .. you are a good friend and I appreciate you ... i did raise me glass and toasted you yesterday .. out loud as I seem to be doing that more often :} i tried a shot of the Russian Grappa in me beer and it actually is a pretty good combo .. maybe I will finish that bottle in time. Slante!

[Neville]

.......................... smilin miles :)

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I am getting so tired of the site kicking me off when I try to post....I have written Charlie about it...and he seems to think it is a problem on my end....but others have written me with the same problem...

what about you? is it happening to you?

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. i went through it several months ago and it is still getting people ... i kept writing to Charlie and he said that a new program to keep advertisers down has something to do with it .. he suggested clearing the cookies from my computer would do it and eventually it did .. i guess the program recognizes certain cookies and misinterprets members as advertisers .. this past week I am starting to again get kicked off .. not so much as before but now and again .. try to unload your cookies ... see if that helps :))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))))

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I have cleared my cookies several times...to no avail...oh well.

[Einstein Noodle]

its a pain in the butt .. i just kept at it and kept emailing Charlie .. it did get better for me . hope you are not so discouraged you think of leaving jacob .. it would be a terrible loss .. right here at the Cafe' .. in my opinion.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

It will take more than this to get rid of me...although it is frustrating as hell...although I have never been there and really don't know how frustrating that is.
but thank you for those kind words, E.

Glad I am not the only one who has emailed Charlie several times.

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I was on a site called Penwrights and got kicked off of it.

[Einstein Noodle]

huh .. not familiar with Penwrights .. that's kind of weird .. not much on computers but maybe you could try that thing that sets the computer back to a set point when you weren't having trouble

[jacob erin-cilberto]

Penwrights went defunct.
The moderators and main people on there just attacked the young writers...cruel reviews...they all sucked up to each other...I defended those younger or new writers and got castrated for it...
There was a battle, I got three strikes, and ball game over for me.
I quite love this site...been here now, for what? 13 years maybe...it's home.

[Einstein Noodle]

oh my goodness .. good riddance Penwrights eh!? i started out on MySpace but left when they were changing away from allowing groups and went pretty much music .. they did it without notice and I lost all the friends i had made there as well as a lot of my poetry .. couldn't reconnect as the site required me to send each one an invitation/friend request .. who can keep that in one's head ... sheesh .. the poetry, i found out could be retrieved through Google but when I tried it was too late and had gone into the ether ... such is life eh!? peace on ya jacob!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

ps
Beauregard is so, so big...a gentle giant. and such a beauty.

[Einstein Noodle]

I think so too..he's a big goofy dog and a scaredy cat as well .. he has a rubber chicken and pig toy and he won't go near them .. the pig is my personal favorite .. it almost oinks and grunts when you squeeze it and he runs for cover whenever i grab them. :))))))))))))))))))))))

[jacob erin-cilberto]

I absolutely love "Blues"---this song is so soulful...

[Einstein Noodle]

isn't that a great song, artist and video .. glad you enjoyed sir!

[jacob erin-cilberto]

"And when I die, and when I'm gone, there'll be one child left in this world to carry on"

but at this rate we may have no children left...

we are killing ourselves in so many ways...can we survive? Covid is not our only enemy...we are our own...being so full of hate, prejudice, arrogance...and worst of all a lack of caring for others...we have tunnel vision taking care of ourselves.
very intense write here...
I like the guy in the pic walking the tracks...now I wonder...which way was he walking and towards what?
He might get run over by the very train that could take him to salvation.
j.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes .. he just might! thanks for stopping jacob, as always, i appreciate it. it can be a huge downer to think of how we are destroying and allowing the destruction of body and soul in America .. as we shared earlier about our lives as children .. the difference is stark .. evil has grown but i think there is a turn coming .. evil is not a boogy man nor horns and red suit .. it is slow deception and wearing away of truth and goodness .. that "little white lie" .. the "Oh ... I misspoke" .. festers .. i like your question ..which way is he walking .. indeed .. give a listen to the music if you have a chance .. i think you'll like it as well
E.

[Cherrie Palmer]

For all the times,
I thought:
this will break me.
Only to leave me,
holding my ground,
and in the end
in a flicker of time
I'll find myself
on that other side.

[Einstein Noodle]

yes! we find we don't really have to fight the darkness .. just switch the light on and it dispels eh!? i love your courageous comments Cherrie! thanks so much for reading and taking time to share them! be well ... keep the peace ;)
E.

[SheIsMe]

Beautifully tragic. I want to know more, read more.

[Einstein Noodle]

Dear SheisMe!! nice to meet you! thanks so much for taking time to read and review .. means a lot you know. .. i am very curious as to where your mind takes this ... further down the road! ;)
I will certainly return your kind visit!
E.

[Patricia Wedel]

Gene... I would love to have your poem explained by you; however, as others comment I may understand your meaning as well. The photo is eerie.. holding a 🥀 Rose... so I am thinking our country is being held by a socialistic theory which is not what our Country has fought to preserve. Pat

[Einstein Noodle]

i would agree Pat .. and reading other's comments mostly also have the gist of this .. it is about dying and should be personal for everyone .. after all .. we are going to get there eh!? :) love and joy my friend

[Patricia Wedel]

dearest Gene... My husband’s sister passed a week ago ... Priscilla was an Author and an Artist as was her Mother.. beautiful Souls. Yes, we all will pass. We sent Pris flowers before she passed ... and now she is our Angel...
My own Mother was an Artist and loved babies and flowers. Our Spirit will live on. tenderly, Pat

[Einstein Noodle]

I am sorry for this loss in your family .. peace and healing always!