Dear Irving,

The days have swept us along and here we are all together to wish you a very Happy Birth Day.  I remember many years ago when you were a poet-in-residence at Bucknell and we had this extraordinarily long and deeply memorable conversation. Afterward, I wrote this poem for you.  Enjoy my dear Friend,        Kathleen

A Few Candles Lit

For Irving with Love from Kathleen

Looking back through

the limitless longing,

you saw only darkness

with but a few candles lit.

Your lips licking the word

that fell upon me like a tiny moan,

Empty.

In that moment, waiting

came to shed its shadow and

a tear ruled the rim of your eyes.

I watched as hope hobbled off,

impatient with the improbable.

Shaking itself vigorously

before moving on to enter

the whirl of the world which

never could find its way out.

Your voice remained rhythmic

and raspy,

halting only to fold its sound

into the mouth of our resignation,

now settling softly

in the palm of our closeness.

Kathleen Creed Page