Ghosts

[jisbell00]

Ghosts


I’ve got my eye on Cooper, our headmaster
announced – to Tony Cooper, who had just
come over the school wall. We found this droll.

In Canon Markham’s house by the cathedral,
in our last year, our life was dissolute,
by School Rule standards – smoking, chasing girls.

The canon served us sherry and he thought
whiskey the proper thing for colds. In high
wing collars, we would perch on his settee:

Cooper, Saker, Davies, and myself.
One time, at Saker’s parents’ house, we sat
into the night and talked. This was a bit

post-King’s. We lived our lives. I still remember
how Cooper died, and Bothwell – a good half
of our small foursome. Johnny Saker, I

see not at all, though he moved to New York.
We had a falling-out. The turning seasons
have left that night we shot the breeze, as if

I’d sat with ghosts, as if it were my task
to not forget – to keep those boys alive,
who died young. To recall those boys we were.

[Macavity]

Enjoyed John. The 'task' is particularly poignant. The 'early' education defines in many ways. I guess the measure of time is not in years, but moments. If you wanted some irony, the title could be singular.

Bw

Phil

[jisbell00]

Hi Phil,

I liked your comment - lots to think about. Yup, the task reminded me of how WW I survivors felt they had a job to get stuff done in honor of those who had died. It's a bit of that. And you are right, ouut of the undifferentiated mass of years emerge moments and they help to define us. I still remember that late-night talk with ghosts.

Cheers,
John

[CalebPerry]

This is a real tear-jerker, John. I really like it. It unrolls like a force of nature, culminating with the saddest facts of all, death and loss. Somehow I missed it, probably because I am a lazy reader and tend to blip over poems with a lot of detail. But all the detail in here is explained, so yes, that was just my inexcusable laziness.

I'm not above being obvious. If I had written this, I would have ended it with something other than "To recall those things we did." That's not a bad ending, especially since the poem is meaty throughout. I'm just saying that if it were me, I'd look for a way to twist the knife right at the end. Of course, I might try that and then decided it didn't work. "To recall what might have been" is what I'm thinking.

I'd like to put this poem in my document of favorites.

[jisbell00]

Hi Caleb,

Yes, they both died before they were thirty. It is a sad poem, as you say.

You’ve prompted me to revise the ending - thank you!

Cheers,
John

[CalebPerry]

John, I always feel humbled when someone accepts a suggestion of mine and changes his or her poem, especially when he's a better poet than I am. Think about it a while to make sure you did the right thing. No matter the ending, it's a fine poem.

[jisbell00]

Hi Caleb,

I thnik we are mostly quite different poets. But all that aside, your thought got me to thinking and I believe the process was fruitful. I think the new ending is an improvement - though i would of course be interested in other opinions!

Cheers,
John