Thanks, John: Susan has severe medical problems and has been very weak for several days, to the point that this independent wife of mine even allowed me to fetch things for her so she could stay in bed. But then she hit her head on the bathroom sink and again when she fell to the floor. It was while worrying whether I did the right thing by letting her sleep or whether I should have tried to keep her awake because of possible concussion-side-effects that I wrote the first poem in this recent sequence. She told me when I was putting her to bed that she had just spent the worst half-hour of her life, but a couple of days later didn't remember telling me that. Yesterday her church in Redlands was having a pre-Christmas service and a young girl from church drove her to the service. It had been a while since she had been there and everyone came to where she was sitting. One after the other, they hugged her. She said she felt like royalty. It was while she was at church that I wrote "A distant whistling" but she seemed much better after she got home. The light of my life hasn't gone out, but I saw it flicker. Lawrence From: lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:lit-ideas-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of John McCreery Sent: Tuesday, December 25, 2012 12:36 AM To: Lit-Ideas Subject: [lit-ideas] Re: A distant whistling Lawrence, Powerful, and for me, contemplating what would happen if the light of my life suddenly went out, terrifying as well. Best wishes, as the Chinese say, for good fortune, long life, good health, and tranquility. John On Tue, Dec 25, 2012 at 4:03 PM, Lawrence Helm <lawrencehelm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: I knew her rough direction And could see the tracks Although a train hasn't been This way in years. There was A rose-petalness to her lips As I kissed her good-bye, And her natural softness Which coupled with her Adamantine resolve buckled Her, sending her bloodied To the ground. I found Her getting into bed, furious At her traitorous cramping-legs Though not able to recall them The next day and seeing no Reason to stay as though She were like me who puts Words to these wrenching things, Seeing the colors change and fade Here as at the river, hemming In everything I try to remember. -- John McCreery The Word Works, Ltd., Yokohama, JAPAN Tel. +81-45-314-9324 jlm@xxxxxxxxxxxx http://www.wordworks.jp/