Love, Loss, and Lennon

3 Comments

Love, Loss, and Lennon


(In memory of John Lennon--
poet, songwriter, singer, music man, and humane activist--whose life was taken at age 40; 
John Lennon would have been 70 years old today,
on his birthday: Saturday, October 9, 2010)


Nothing lasts forever;   
No great deed can stand.  
All sweet streams shall sever,  
And, seeking, sink in sand.   
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
No great love can last,  
No deep dream can live;  
The farthest future shall be past:  
God loans, He does not give.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Emily Dickenson, with her strange new strains,  
Of sweet deep pain and longing love;  
And Robert Frost's portraits of joys and pains--  
Now both their souls have felt the final fatal shove.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Marcus Aurelius wrote of death,  
As Epictetus did, and the torrent of time;  
And each in his turn breathed out his fleet life's breath;  
And even their cities fell to strong funereal chime.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
Peace and love and brotherhood,  
And hopes and hungers dwell and die;  
And Evil stalks and slays the Good;  
And the torturing Question cries out: Why?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
For me, the worst that went with the world's wild wind,  
That hurt my heart and poisoned all my pride,  
Was when I lost my music-friend: 
The day John Lennon died.


=======================
Written by Michael LP  
aka MLP, aka Mr. Poet, aka PoetWithCancer, aka PWC 
(I'm just me)
Copyright 2011 by Michael L.P.  All rights reserved
(Copyrighted for my estate)

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MindNumbing commented on Love, Loss, and Lennon

10-26-2010

Oh I just LOVE this!! It has a very strong, tongue-twister vibe to it, which gives it an awesome effect and the rhythm and flow are both fantastic. I was too young when Lennon died to be bothered by it, even though I loved the Beatles even as a 6 year old. I think my parents may have sheilded me from his death, because I don't remember even hearing anything about it until well after the fact. I couldn't imagine the impact his death would have had on me, had I been a little older and more aware of the world around me. This is a wonderful tribute to a brilliant man... well done, my friend!

arronpalmer commented on Love, Loss, and Lennon

10-19-2010

Astonishing tribute, Michael. Your way with alliterated phrases that are not compromised in message due to an endeavour to make the words that form them begin with the same letter is something to be applauded. As a huge fan of Lennon myself, I really connected with the sentiments of this poem. The final line is rather simple, it contrasts with the more flowery alliteration of previous stanzas, driving the point home that, when all's said and done, no matter how poetic, you miss Lennon. Great piece.

abuelita1 commented on Love, Loss, and Lennon

10-09-2010

You have a way of touching the heart. ♥♥ Thank you. ☺

When power leads man towards arrogance, poetry reminds him of his limitations. When power narrows the area of man's concern, poetry reminds him of the richness and diversity of existence. When power corrupts, poetry cleanses.

John F. Kennedy (1917-1963) Thirty-fifth President of the USA

PoetWithCancer’s Poems (224)

Title Comments
Title Comments
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Seasonal Ring 1
My Thanksgiving 0
God's Word 1
Under the Date Tree 1
A Few More Times 1
Divine and Diabolical World 0
Summer-Brief 2
Seasonal Ring 0
Shakespeare's Birthday and Death 0
Special Brian 0
I Remember Brian 0
Light of Life 0
Pain Has Defeated Me Today 1
The Old, Old Words 0
Home Is Where the Heart Is 0
A Sad Contemplative Christmas Today 0
Moments of Memory; In Memory of Moments 0
Sun and Rain, Joy and Pain: I Miss My Friend Brian 0
Dehumanized and Clinicized--N
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Not Full 0
Love, Loss, and Lennon 0
Dying Dream 0
Brian's Pure Love for His Lady 0
Two Loved Ladies Undergoing Surgery Now 0
The Masks Fall Off at Midnight 1
Prime of Life 1
Low Energy and Less Time: And Too Many Things to Do 1
Happy Veterans Day, Brian 0
Happy Veterans Day, Brian 0
Thanksgiving 0
Autumn of Year; Autumn of Life 0
Brian's Birthday and New Year's Eve 0
Under a Constant Star (9/11) 0
Deep Time 0
Is There Anything Out There 2
Classics in the Closet 0
Nobody 0
Feeling the Wind 0
The Wild Doe and the Hunter 0
Happy Birthday, Brian 0
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Brian's Special Smile 0
Broken Birth 0
Missing Brian 0
Focus: Today, Happy 0
I Love You, Brian 0
The Ways and the Words of You 1
Stone Cry 0
Amore Immortale 0
Reality and Unreality 1
Lyrical Life 1
Easter 0
Shakespeare's Birthday 0
Friends During Need 1
Death--A Play--or the Final Act 0
Moods 0
I Was Worried About You 0
Song of Life 2
Me 1
Oh Mother of My Life, My Mind, My Heart--Happy Birthday (Sunday, April 3, 2011) 0
Your Money or Your Life 1
Poesis 0
A Last Look at the Moon 0
Tears for Brian: My Tears Spring Suddenly 0
Seventeen in the Past 1
Clusters 1
Suffering and Dying Where Love Is Least 1
Looking at People in a Restaurant, Talking to Brian 1
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Five Human Haiku (Senryu): Faithful to the Perfect Form 0
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Life Is 8
Following My Friend 3
Small Moments (Written by Patricia, for Brian) 1
For Precious Michael (Written by Patricia, for me) 4
Dream of Life, Dream of Friendship, Dream of Love 4
The Power to Create 4
A Single Fortune Cookie 6
The Meaning of Life 2
Dreamless 3
Prayers 3
Lost Love 2
I Thank My Mother for My Birthday and for Her Wonderful Mother Love 3
Lennon Lost His Life: And Now, So Has Teena Marie 2
All the Way with Part Way 2
Loving, Living, and Dying 6
Dreaming and Seeming 3
Poem Prayer 2
Science, Poetry, Philosophy, and More 2
Super A, Abuelita1--Th
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Someday-Dying 2
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Zappa the Magnificent 1
In the Midst of Life 2
Only One Death 1
Real Illusion 1
The Unknown 1
My Apparently Known Possible Fates in This World 1
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Someone 2
Leaving Life 1
Precious Jade 2
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Using and Losing Time 1
Loveless Life 2
Good Life, Good Grief 1
Dreamless 1
Ontology versus Oncology 1
Now Time 2
No Present, No Future: All Past 3
Hippocratic Hell 1
First Light 2
Almost At the Limit [--A Sonnet] 1
Death-Trap 0
Broken 1
Birthday Termination 1
Moments 1
First and Last Cry 1
Love 2
Final Fragility 1
End of the World 1
Tripping 1
Seasonal Ring 1
Gifts that Go and Still Stay 1
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Enthusiasm: God Within 3
Send Me Your Good Will, or Pray For Me--Please 1
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Snow Man for a Low Man 0
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New Year, No Love 2
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I and You: Unique and the Same 1
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Health-Care Reform and Hell on Earth 3
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My Bucket List (For Now) 4
My Most SCARED Moments 2
Children of the Stars 2
Passing Life's Test 1
Why More Now? 1
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Another Thursday, Another Hammer 4
Thursday's Hammer 1
New Birthday 2
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Tripping 2
One More Tomorrow 1
My Dash 4
One of Two Is Stronger 1
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Friendship and Life 1
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Live Spelled Backwards 1
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A Memory 1
Less Life; No Loving 2
A Loser, True 2
Time Stop 1
Final Sleep 1
Entre Enfer 1
Flying Life 1
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Once 3
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