8 Comments

I just love the photo David. So much texture and presence and romance in that almost black and white shot. How could you resist that sky! As for the poem, like so many of your works, it bears witness to your being such an ordinary human being (that is not meant as an insult!) but with extra-ordinary gifts of openness, honesty, awareness of your own and therefore the human condition, and a willingness to declare your truth, no matter how personal. You have married your masculine and feminine aspects and are not afraid of your own heart or intuitions and not afraid of death. And your fluency in the Irish / English language is simply beautiful. To be understood by any reader, but built on ancient traditions, coloured by PNW and Zen influences, which personally I love. I am enjoying your Substack postings. Dawn from Tobago West Indies.

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The deeper my relational ship with death the more I create a wonderful life. Poetry yours and mine has helped me access the more truthful alive parts within me. I’ve come to appreciate this fleeting moment in time we have earthside. Blessed we are. 💐

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Having dinner with my wife and two of our dearest friends I suddenly recognized all 4 of us have had cancer. We all survived. But for how long?. Then this. “ one of us is going to die first”. I drove home that night carrying that realization remembering David’s beautiful and concise declaration You must apprentice yourself to the arc of your own disappearance. My revelation was a little more coarse. “ I’m going to live the shit out of the rest of my days! And here I am as well as my wife and beloved friends, embracing the mistress , learning from her everything she has to teach me.

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I am not on Facebook. I have followed David since the early days, having gone to NewYork and Connecticut to Palm Springs to California…..he inspired me in so many ways and I have so resonated in so many ways.

I am very grateful.

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Dying is such a big deal, I don’t want to miss it 🤣

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What a remarkable poem and enjoy the blank space this new site provides which adds its own conversation with your words.

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The beauty of mortality lies in the preciousness and uniqueness of our finite existence.

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I opened up Substack this morning, and this poem randomly showed up. I am always happily surprised when this happens because this particular poem really speaks right to my soul and heart today tomorrow is the 33 year anniversary of the airplane crash death of my late husband. some years in September I stroll through with joy that I have lived another summer and into fall some years like this year I have an opportunity as David would say to spiral right down to the depths of my grief. This is one of those years thank you for this poem, David as always, it speaks right to me and in me.🙏

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