I looked at Death today

I grieve, and when I grieve, I write ... (This is a repost from yesterday)

 

Orlando Furioso, my little "Bärchen",
went gallopping off to that heavenly pasture where the grass is always green ...
Much like the summer pasture in this photo,
where you see him (the white one) grazing merrily with his friends ...
He lived a happy life,
to a ripe old equine age opf 33 ...
And yet ...well, it´s always too early, isn´t it? .... Tschüß, Orlando-Bär! Auf bald!

I looked at Death today ...

Orlando Furioso 1975 - 2008

I looked at Death today ...
And he looked back at me
He smiled, sadly I thought, as if he knew my pain
and then - why should he not ?
I´m sure he sees it often,
So often, one might think it touches him no more ...
And yet ... I thought him touched by mine.

I looked at Death today,
And he looked back at me
He smiled, knowingly I thought ...
A smile that said, "My dear, we´ll meet again and often ...
And every time you´ll give me tears.
But once, just once, it will be YOU who smiles at me ...
And we´ll embrace and waltz off to eternity ..."

I looked at Death today,
And he looked back at me ...
As if to say: "We have a date, my dear.
That last dance you´ll save for me."

Silvia Feb4th 2008,
the day Orlando died

Reviews

[R J Askew]

Bloody hell ... I am sorry your beloved horse died, Silvia.

Today has been a very odd day as you may know...WritersCafe has deleted ALL our work by 'accident'...so I added the FURIOSO bit to my name to mark my annoyance.

What an incredible co-incidence.

I am very glad to hear from you again, but very sad about your horse.

[Brenda Sue]

Sorry for your loss. This is a great piece. I love the way about waltzing off to eternity.... Wonderfully penned. Great job.

[Maria Fischinger]

It's okay to look close...but run the other way...savor live while you can.
Good poem
Maria

[Chloe..Across the Unive..]

Sylvia, I am so so sorry .. what a beauty Orlando Furioso was and is ..
I am sorry for your loss.. sad day here too.. many death from tornado's ..
We will survive...
So sorry for this .. a beautiful tribute .. love ya

chloe
xoxo

[Robert Luna]

I am so sorry about your lose. I know how much you love your furry babies. My heart aches for you. This piece was written perfect and held so much powerful truth in it. It was great to be able to read your writing again but this not the subject or the way I wish you had to express yourself. My does go out to you and I am very sorry for your lose.

[Gary H]

Thats many years of connection to such a fine animal and I can only say I'm sorry for your news. I think the poem conveys the perfect picture as we will all eventually have that last dance. I'm sure you are right and death does speak....

[All faded blue]

33 years sounds such a long time, but when the time is up, it seems we watched them born just yesterday. My heart goes out to you in deep sympathy, I know the feeling of losing one so dear and such a part of our lives. Your poem was beautiful, I am using it to be the first to save to my NEW library, and I am printing it out so that I will never lose anything here again.

all faded blue

[Silvia - Scribo, Ergo S..]

"If there is a heaven he waits just past the gates. If he is not there it cannot be heaven."

Frank - so true! Thanks. xxx

[hyancynthstofeedthysoul]

If there is a heaven he waits just past the gates. If he is not there it cannot be heaven.

[Genie]

I too have looked into those eyes more than once, heard similar words of assurance and comfort, but this was so very touching. Your poem gets to the places I've never been able to reach, and I thank you for that even as I send prayers of condolence.

This reminds me of when Barbaro died after his valiant effort to recover from his terrible injury. I cried for days afterward. Surprising thing is, I've never owned a horse, rarely touched a horse (but not from lack of trying), and I certainly didn't know Barbara. There's a nobility in horses, an intelligence, that goes beyond what we can fathom, and maybe that's part of what I grieve for in such instances.

Thank you for this beautiful tribute and expression of a magical creature.