Robin Williams died this Monday.
The headlines are
saying, "Robin Williams dead.
at 63." That was Monday.
This is today,
Wednesday,
the headlines are saying many things.
We will miss him.
I like it best said and not lived as Sylvia Plath
put it in her now mortal poem, Lady Lazarus:
"Soon, soon the flesh
The grave cave ate will be
At home on me
At home on me And I a smiling woman.
I am only thirty.
And like the cat I have nine times to die."
Sylvia Plath did not attain those nine
lives, not even four.
She took her life when she was 30
and
could not wear her skin again ever.
Desperation.
Only her poem
is mortal.
Robin Williams died at age 63, he took his own
life.
Desperation.
I suppose Robin Williams never read Ms.
Plath's poem,
if he did he would see the folly. Instead, he is dead
today.
The headlines of the tomorrows will have passed
pretty much
over Mr. Williams,
will history remember him at all?
Life goes on.
Mainly noble persons, barbaric villains, and authors
will be in the
encyclopedia, home to those remembered.
And mainly the generations alive today
will be the ones who
remember Robin Williams.
They will tell
of their favorite movie they watched, perhaps
even bought. My favorite was RV, a 2006 film, really
funny.
The List today is dreary today. A soul has
passed,
passed from earth to who knows where.
I believe there are only
two, perhaps three places it can go:
Heaven, Hell, Purgatory
May he RIP. We are missing you.
- - - - - -
- - - - -
Today I am linked with Grapeling, at the Real Toads, Get Listed (link)
He wrote and posted an excellent run-down of the life of Robin Williams. Grapeling also gave us the list of words below and instructed us to then "choose at least 3 words of [his] list - taken from dialog in the film [Dead Poets Society] - compose a *new* pen, and post it."
Notes:
The List (of words I was encouraged to use here—I used four,
dead, desperation, barbaric, and noble—I decided to write my first thoughts behind each of
them):
worm - Wormwood, that junior temptor student to the Chief Demon Screwtape
in C.S. Lewis's The Screwtape Letters.
verse - Second verse, third line: TBD (i.e. you name
it poem)
dreams - Broken, much crying and tears, hair pulling,
ashes and torn clothes
suck - Life sucks
rout - Win the race, it's a rout, one way or the other
for life
daring - Young man on the flying trapeze
caution - To the winds, 'p' on caution (have your ever
driven 180 mph? I have, on the German Autobaun)
seize - The moment, it may be your last
dead - These men don't talk. Das ende, schluss
(German, it is over)
desperation - Don't worry things WILL BE WORSE
barbaric - People with this propensity are
presently trying to rule the world, their way only can be
noble - This man may prevail. Noble thinking at
the least
Grapling's post: Get Listed - August - Carpe Diem
Theme: Robin Williams passed on August 11th, evidently a suicide.
Additional Reading:
Robin Williams was a 'genius so manic he said cocaine helped him keep calm' | Mail Online
References:
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178961 (Sylvia Plath's poem, Lady Lazarus)
https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110422174320AAK11gF
(Does St. Peter really hold the keys to Heaven)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Screwtape_Letters
Labels: A Tribute, Personal-Challenge-2014, Poem, prose poem, Real Toads, Word List
9 Comments:
the concept of a suicide is so hard to grasp.. and I Sylvia had only one extra life... I wonder how many really want to take that step.. the success rate is sometimes not that staggering..sometimes I wonder of purgatory is not a place on earth..
I like the catalog, Jim. I don't wonder if Williams read Plath; I'm sure he did... Thanks for adding your voice ~
Well done, Jim. I like the thoughts that came to you from the list words. Cool.
Oh yes, we will remember the comic genius of Robin Williams ... the talented actor. Smiles, Mr. Jim.
WHETHER FUTURE GENEATIONS WILL REMEMBER HIM IS A GOOD QUESTION>
Poetic Inspiration.
yes, i too am certain that Robin Williams was a reader of Sylvia Plath's poetry. no doubt. if only that tree outside could have kept him, and her.
Sylvia and William forever connected by their chosen deaths....I too wish help could have arrived for both of them...that their demons could have been silenced.
Jim, a very thoughtful piece and memory for Silvia as well.
Hope you are having a wonderful summer :)
Robin Williams gave us so much laughter and joy. Yet, he was broken inside. RIP.
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