Sunday, October 2, 2011

Born during the same 24 hours in 1949 / Coincidence?






















Yesterday was my birthday, and today would have been my old friend Richard's 62nd birthday. I have one other photo of us together, but that one is in silhouette as we are walking hand in hand in the direction of the sun setting over the Pacific Ocean. If it weren't for Richard, I wouldn't have any photos of us at all. For both photos, he set up the camera and stepped into the picture.

Today when I was getting groceries, I ran into a man that Richard worked for as a carpenter in California a long long time ago. I don't see him around that often. What are the chances that some years ago, I would get out of my car to deliver some paintings to an art gallery and that a man would get out of the car next to me and offer to help and that it would turn out that Richard had worked for him? And that as he and his wife were in the grocery store parking lot today, he would recognize me and stop to talk on Richard's 62nd birthday?

Then, this morning, I was talking with Richard's sister, Dorothy, who had left a message yesterday for my birthday. She said she was driving on a back road in the coast hills on the San Francisco Peninsula and saw a solitary crow skipping along the road. She knows that whenever I see a crow skipping I think of Richard. I even wrote a poem featuring a skipping crow and innocence and forgiveness when Richard and I were both 50 years old.

TWO INNOCENTS WITH EXPERIENCE

All desire. No forgiveness.
Years later it was early spring
with Red-Winged Blackbird,
Goldfinch, faithful Canada Goose on the trail
and return of the Tree Swallows.

Then I remembered.
He was sitting close to me.
Mr. Solitary Crow skipped by us like a child.
We laughed until we were children again.
This was how I experienced love.
I was innocent of forgiveness.

If you have time, listen to something that spoke to Richard's heart and which speaks to mine.

5 comments:

bev said...

Wonderful photo of the two of you, and also the poem. How funny about the skipping crow. i have come to believe that there are few coincidences.

Taradharma said...

life is full of amazing coincidences, isn't it? makes me wonder if there are forces at work that we don't know about...or if it's all random.

Love the poem: describes young love so well: all desire and no forgiveness. That's a mouth-full.

Anonymous said...

a belated hbd, am. particularly love the way things coincide, as i happened to be listening to jennifer warnes when i found your post, all fits. slainte, kjm

Anil P said...

Belated Birthday Wishes to you. And what a wonderful picture of the two of you, so warm and touching.

Sometimes, it's no coincidence. I'd like to believe that there's more to time than a mere mechanical movement, an unseen hand that synchs the hour and minute hand to nudge a moment into happening.

Lovely poem.

am said...

bev -- Thank you! I thought of you and your carving today while watching the DVD "My Neighbor Totoro."

Taradharma -- I am delighted to know that you love my poem.

kjm -- Slainte!

Anil P. -- Thank you for stopping by for my birthday and for your thoughtful comments.