What do we say to death when
it insists on arriving despite the fact that we
are not ready? We still have love
that needs to be given. We
haven’t said all that we feel
to those who need to know. It
is never the right time, is it? That’s all.
(a shovel poem after Robert S. Carroll “This Much”)
I get daily emails of poetry from several sources. I don’t have time to read them all, but I look at least one every day. Yesterday when I opened the Rattle email to the poem “This Much” by Robert S. Carroll, about the death of his father, I was stopped in my tracks. I read it over several times, and then wrote this shovel poem from the ending thought “When we love, we feel it all”. I urge you to read Carroll’s poem here.
For dVerse OLN, hosted by Sanaa, and another response to Sarah’s prompt to have a conversation with another poet/poem.
I know everyone is obsessed with Donald Trump right now, but 4000 people died yesterday in the United States from Covid-19.
K. 
Two very moving poems, Kerfe. I think we should try and say all those meaningful things while we have the chance.
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Thanks Ingrid. We should–it’s so easy to get caught up in the drama of life and forget.
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Yes, that is all. Very few are ever ready or really want to go, not even people in great pain. And those who are left do feel that struggle to stay just a bit longer and say, hear, do a bit more. Lovely words (a seamless shovel) and beautiful drawing too. Hands are hard.
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Thanks Jane. It is hard to let go, from both ends.
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If will power, or any other power worked, nobody would die ever.
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Thank you for sharing both your poem and Robert S. Carroll’s. His brought tears to my eyes, and yours continued the questions we all ask. I love your drawing.
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Thanks Merril. Too much death around us right now.
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Yes. 😔
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This was an incredibly powerful pairing. Mortality is often on my mind but it has an extra urgency at the moment in my house. We don’t often get the luxury of knowing how soon it may be before it’s too late, so I take every opportunity I can find to say those unsaid things.
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Thanks Sun. I think 2020 made the need to be present for everyone in our lives clear.
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A huge and heartbreaking loss, 4000 is not a small number.. mortality has a strange way of grounding us and reminding that nothing is permanent. I love the drawing and the incredibly potent pairing.
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Thanks Sanaa. We need some kind of national acknowledgement and way to mourn. The total lost in the last year will reach 400,000 all too soon.
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This is very poignant, Kerfe. Beautifully done.
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Thanks Robbie.
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a timely reminder on a topic close to my heart! Powerfully composed and impactful
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Thanks Kate.
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most welcome Kerfe!
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Your shovel poem is like an underscore to Carroll’s line
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Thanks Ken. I’m going to be thinking of Carroll’s poem for a long time.
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My heart began to beat faster near the ending of Carroll’s poem. Your poem complements it so well, thank you for sharing both of them!
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Thanks…yes that is quite an emotional poem. I’m still thinking about it.
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“We still have love that needs to be given.”
This is so moving and true. Beautiful pair of poems!
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Thanks Lona. Indeed we do.
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