the platitudes of willful resemblance

Louise Bourgeois dies and the art world loses another hero.

The loss is entirely ours as she lived 98+ years and beheld the admiration of her peers for three decades. A good life.
thus far those who have died in this recent display of death’s power lived good lives, long lives (except Coleman who had health issues from a young age). A few did so many drugs and drank to an excess that it was a miracle they lived as long as they did, I’m sure they would agree. But now I am waiting for the other proverbial shoe (apologies for the cliche) to be let go.

my heart breaks this weekend
let us sing a litany  for Peter Orlovsky who is now home with Allen.
let us sing a litany for Leslie who writes poetry in another place
we shall remember those who go before us and
strive to be what they were to those behind us.

life ends

life ends abruptly.

the shadow ceases.

loss is registered but
life goes on,

indelicately as it
must.

 – Hoc Scripsi

And now our heads bow for Leslie Scalapino, poet.

What a weekend, Gary Coleman, Dennis Hopper and now Leslie Scalapino – two actors and a poet.

I grieve

I grieve slowly,
quietly.

occupying the hours of
a day with meditations

of death and the dead.
often I consider my own death

and am not unnerved by it as
death is one end only.

it is ever the patient student
of the dead that practices life

so fully
as to die with ease.

 – Hoc Scripsi