“True courage is like a kite; a contrary wind raises it higher.” John Petit-Senn
For this poem I took a line from Mary Frye’s ‘Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep.’ to riff with, mainly because it is a poem that I wrestle with, I experience Frye’s poem as wistful and I wanted to write a poem that expresses the reality of death but also honours the sense of spirit, of afterlife.
The line I have taken is “I am a thousand winds that blow.”
I Am A Thousand Winds That Blow
I am here and I am there, in life, in death, I am everywhere, I'm in the ground, I'm in the urn, in my bed I twist and turn. I cannot deny that I am alive, always buzzing I love to thrive I cannot deny that I did die, so mourn away and light the fire. As the ash floats on the air, don't embellish with too much flair, let me go where I must go, I am a thousand winds that blow. Copyright 2022 ©Paul Vincent Cannon All Rights Reserved ®️ The original poem is below
Do Not Stand At My Grave And Weep by Mary Frye Do not stand at my grave and weep; I am not there. I do not sleep. I am a thousand winds that blow. I am the diamond glints on snow. I am the sunlight on ripened grain. I am the gentle autumn rain. When you awaken in the morning's hush I am the swift uplifting rush Of quiet birds in circled flight. I am the soft stars that shine at night. Do not stand at my grave and cry; I am not there. I did not die.
parallax 
I prefer your response poem to the original. It acknowledges the bereaved’s need to grieve.
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Yes, I think she was part of that whole denial of death thing that Evelyn Waugh wrote of in ‘The Loved One’ the sanitising of death.
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I have a copy of The Loved One. It’s quite something!
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Wonderful, it left a deep impression on me, I think he was clever with his insights.
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Have you read The American Way of Death by Jessica Mitford? It was eye-opening–and not in a good way!
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No I haven’t but now I must track it down, thank you Liz.
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You’re welcome, Paul. I’d love to know what you think of it.
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I will let you know 🙂
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🙂
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Greatness in flowing💯
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Lovely, Paul. 💜
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Many thanks Carol
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I believe you captured it perfectly. When the body is no longer alive and there, spirit returns to being everywhere.
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Thank you so much Astrid.
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Awesome 👌
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I love this poem – so well written
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It was tricky to keep the form of it, but I really enjoyed doing it.
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