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please offer your prayers, blessings and words of consolation
to my cousin henri who has lost his beloved wife claude
one month ago - she drowned during their morning swim together
only a couple of meters away from him, even the beachguard did not see it
until this date, nobody knows what has really happened
and his grief and feeling of guilt is beyond limits
they have been married for half a century
and today, august 15th, would have been claude's birthday
I have no words to console him in these times of grief
indeed, I feel helpless
please assist me
I would like to print out the poems
and messages left as comments on this page
and offer them to henri
if you have a personal message
a universal message
a prayer, no matter your religion or beliefs
all sincere poetic offerings shall be honored
and highly appreciated
prewrites are welcome if suitable
multiple entries are more than welcome
thank you
maa
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please offer your prayers, blessings and words of consolation
to my cousin henri who has lost his beloved wife claude
one month ago - she drowned during their morning swim together
only a couple of meters away from him, even the beachguard did not see it
until this date, nobody knows what has really happened
and his grief and feeling of guilt is beyond limits
they have been married for half a century
and today, august 15th, would have been claude's birthday
I have no words to console him in these times of grief
indeed, I feel helpless
please assist me
I would like to print out the poems
and messages left as comments on this page
and offer them to henri
if you have a personal message
a universal message
a prayer, no matter your religion or beliefs
all sincere poetic offerings shall be honored
and highly appreciated
prewrites are welcome if suitable
multiple entries are more than welcome
thank you
maa
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Contest is Over
- Contest was judged on August 26, 2008
- Rewards: Gold: 1111, Silver: 777, Bronze: 333, Honorable mention: 41 people
- Final notes: tears of gratitude were flowing when your offerings were discovered by henri ... he just could not stop crying, and to see this elegant, noble man becoming a sweet little child through his tears was such a moving experience ...
each one of your poems and comments were read several times, either to him or by him, in the sacred space of intimacy ...
I realized that a little story, sent to me recently by a friend, seemed to move him most :
***
This is a little story about a four year old child whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman who had recently lost his wife.
Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there.
When his Mother asked what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy said :
”Nothing, I just helped him cry”
***
I feel that this is what you all did to help my cousin go through these difficult moments ... and for this, I thank you from my deepest heart for your selfless and heartfelt offerings ...
there are no "winners" for us in this contest, each and every contribution is equally precious to us, and I really mean it ...
much love,
marion (maa)
MESSAGE FROM JEAN-MARC, my husband and henri's direct cousin :
Dear all,
Our cousin has been very moved by the beauty of your poems and messages. He continues to read them daily. He just went back to his flat in Paris, a big flat which is now empty. We continue to keep him in our thoughts, and call him as often as possible. Your sharings are a true beauty. They come from your heart, and we can fill it in every word. Marion and myself have a slight preference for the messages which encourage to stay with suffering, instead of escaping it. We know that accepting suffering is the only way to be free from it. For this reason, the three "winners" promote such a perspective. But we really want to thank you, from our whole heart, for your love, attention and compassion, which are so precious in difficult periods and so nourishing in more joyful ones. We really love you.
with all our love and gratitude,
maa
Contest Winners
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oh hide me, wrap me
in the shelter of anonymity,• Commented on by judge. [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4519143, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Chills touch the spine,
As energy will sway.by Pisces rainbow 21 lines, 10 comments, on Aug 18 7:37 AM 2008. In Love, Spiritual, Contest
Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
The Ear of God is inclined unto me--
Expanding all the star-lit heavens,• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
We live from day to day in hopes of the longest life possible .Unknowing of our time we will be called home .by storiesuntold 28 lines, 5 comments, on Aug 17 2:40 PM 2008. In Love, Hope, Spiritual Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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embrace the creators hand.by darell 36 lines, 8 comments, on Aug 16 10:18 AM 2008. In Love, Pain, Spiritual, Inspirational, Humanity, Dedication Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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My soul
is lifted• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
OH GREAT SPIRITby SpiritMother 54 lines, 22 comments, on Aug 15 9:43 PM 2008. In Spiritual, Hope, Contemporary Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4417639, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4516313, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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• Commented on by judge. [remove]
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There was a time before this, my love• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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I sailed with Captain Nero, he came to rescue me
He took me to his city where all good souls swim free• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
by Yvette Champ 38 lines, 30 comments, on Sep 12 1:08 AM 2007. In personal, grief, dedication Honorable mention
• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove]
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She is not gone while held inside your heart
A part of you and safe from all the world• Commented on by judge. [remove] -
When sun sets, darkness comes down,
The whole life seems to be put off,• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4524209, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4524787, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Under a full August moon
dew drops cleanse• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
Shadow walked away
With receding waves• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4274305, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Yes, I am trapped in darkness's dismal walls
just hemmed in lonely space that know no bounds• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] - Error: Unable to find finalist item 4516229, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
- Error: Unable to find finalist item 4517287, it seems to have been deleted :( [remove]
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Wilting flowers closed
in sudden nighttime darkness;• Commented on by judge. Prewrite [remove] -
She knows perfectly the art of swimming and its tricks
and surely an expert on water and on life's streams too she clicks• Commented on by judge. [remove]
Gold trophy winner
Silver trophy winner
Entries [41]
1 - 41 of 41
Add a comment
Comments
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M, my SINCERE condolences. Reading what happened has made me cry for you and his wife. Although I know life is a cycle, I still say it isn't fair. I don't submit prewrites as they are to me, impersonal. Let me see what I can muster up for your family.
God Bless!
Linda
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I love you, linda
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I'm so deeply sorry for what your family is going through. I will ry to write something for you.
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thank you so much, I knew I could count on my ap-family of like-hearted poets ...
I am deeply moved ...
maa
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Dear Sis,
I'm so sorry to hear of your cousin's wife's end. Its really sad that he could not have seen this in time and have saved her. I can't even imagine how traumatising this could be for him. I'm praying for his pain to lessen and his guilt to decrease and gradually disappear. We all will have to pass one day from this realm to the next. It's in the Creator's hand when we must be destroyed. Life will come and life will go. The show must go on. May her soul rest in peace.
Charishma
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to chari
thank you so much for stopping by, dear sister ... your words are wise and forceful ... may the bestow peace and consolation upon henri's heart ...
I love you,
marion
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This is a terrible shock. My condolences to Henri on his loss.
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thank you, sweetheart ...
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such a sad story to hear. My prayers are offered and thoughts will be with the family. I sincerely hope that the light may shine so that it can help drown the darkness of grief.
always,
Melanie
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dear melanie,
how kind of you to stop over to offer your words of consolation and your prayers ... you are a treasure ...
marion
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Hi Maa...
I am so, so sorry to hear of your family's loss...even though we all know our time on earth must end sometime, it never seems fair, and never can one be prepared for it...especially when it happens in such a tragic way. My love and prayers are with you, henri, and all those who loved her...with hopes you will each find peace and comfort, even if you never have the answers I'm sure you wish you did. I will bookmark...I haven't been able to write for quite some time, but this has deeply touched me so I will definitely try...
Love ands
~J. -
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thank you so much, sister julie, for your presence and for adding your sweet voice to this page ...
I love you,
marion
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i am so sorry for your lost..
to lose is a horrable thing
but she had a happy life and wastruly in love
and that love will be forever with her
and with you
dont lose hope
for you will see her again
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hello sweet destiny,
thank you for your kind words of compassion ... I am sure they will help appease henri's grief ...
marion
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Your devastation knows no bounds
We can not begin to understand God and his plans for us, we can only hold onto our belief that He had a bigger plan for Claude and it was her time to come home. However that does not make it any easier to bare nor does it alleviate the pain....My heart just aches with all the questions and thoughts that he must be harboring but in the end nothing will bring her back and will only cause more suffering to your cousin. Please let your family know that they are in our prayers and thoughts and perhaps with everyone praying for him he will find peace within his soul. I am sure that she smiles down upon Henri sitting at the Lord's right hand! Many blessings.......Jodi -
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dear jodi,
your words are gentle, wise and compassionate ... you are able to put yourself in another person's skin, or as the native american tradition expresses it : to walk in another person's moccasins ...
I am certain that each one of the ap-poets who has at least read about the situation and briefly visited claude and henri in thought, is lighting a candle of hope and peace in their souls ...
I thank you from my deepest heart,
marion
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My sincere condolences!
From personal experiance I know that only time will ease this pain.
Hope that the friends here at AP will help you find a reason and some closure to this horrible incident!
Blessings
Becks -
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thank you, rebekah, you are right, there is no quick-cure for grief, and it has to be lived first before it can dissolve ...
thank you so much for your two poetic offerings so kindly shared with us ...
much love,
marion
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Dear maa, MargaretG sent me the link to your contest and asked me if I had a poem to enter. The pre-write I've entered has helped the grieving in the past as it has helped me in the loss of my Son 2 years ago on August 23rd. It's not there for any prizes my sweet, I just hope your cousin and his family receive some consolation from reading it.
My prayers are with all of you.
Love Joan
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yes, margaret is an angel ...
so happy she has sent you the link and that you entered your precious voice into the contest, thank you so much,
maa
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I hope I can find a way to paint with words the imagery that will be a salve for a heart broken.
Love, Tom B. -
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thank you for stopping by, tom ...
your presence and kind thoughts are already a great gift ...
much love,
maa
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Dear Marion,
please convey my love and light to Henri, it is at the very time when we need comforting words that we find others are lost for words. I send my sincere condolences with hopes that as each day dawns Henri's spirit feels lighter.
Many Blessings,
Yvette
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your words of loving kindness are on their way ... I am including the comments in the document as well, because they are so precious ...
much love, and thank you for your poetic offering, so cherished by us all,
marion
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Prayers are on the wing for you & yours, my Friend. I'm so sorry for your loss. May your grief be bearable until dear memories soften the edges of sorrow.
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thank you for your loving words, dear wanda ... henri's grief seems truly unbearable at the moment, but I am confident that his tears will ease his pain little by little ... so will your words and poetic offering, my dear one ...
thank you again for your love,
marion
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Oh My~
I will see what I can bring forth from Spirit
I am sorry for Your loss also for Your cousin's wife whom I imagine a Blessing- in Life and beyond- One can only imagine the feelings- emotions brought forth through such tragedy
Much Love and Light Beautiful one~
My condolences Precious Spirit
I'll get to writing
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thank you so much, dear sunshine, your words here in the comment-section as well as your poem will bring a bright ray of hope to henri, I know ...
for now, this contest is still kept a secret, we are planning to travel to bring henri your poems this coming thursday ...
much love,
marion
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I am so sorry to hear this.
Grief and happiness seem almost equally proportioned. A lady diagonally opposite us up on the Range was telling me of a trip she was endeavouring to make to Toowoomba, the garden city of Queensland. It is beginning to look pretty.
However, her husband came over this Tuesday morning to say that her nephew in Toowoomba had perished over-night in a house fire.
My sadness at this easily spreads to yours and your cousin's. May God, who understands our hearts, uphold you with his everlasting arms. Ron.
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thank you so much, my precious and wise friend ron, for stopping by and your blessings ... thank you also for sharing the heartache of your neighbor that must be overwhelming ... I'm sending loving thoughts of compassion to her ...
much love,
marion
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my sympathies
I want to extend my deepest sympathies..
I have been in the hospital and not doing well
If the contest doesn't close soon will see what I can do otherwise it hurts to sit up for long periods of time......
Love you sweetie
Hugs
Susan~~~
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please don't worry about writing a poem, susan, your words left here are already a blessing for all of us ... the contest has closed and I have prepared a little booklet with the poems ... your kind comment will be added ... so sorry to hear about yet another hospital-visit for you ... your challenges seem to be so many, you are a tough cookie ! please make sure you get a lot of rest to restore your energies ...
much love,
marion
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The profound sadness being felt by your cousin can be imagined. But the one who is going through it, knows the reality.
My condolences for your family.
Always be positive.
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GOOD-BYE MY LOVE - I LOVE YOU
I know I steped away from you.
I was led by a voice I knew.
I know we promised to stay as one,
Somehow my time was gone.
Now I see the many years gone by,
Are now but a few.
The plans we made,
Now left to be done by one.
I regret I couldn't stay another day.
I promis I will wait.
Till it is your time,
We will finish the way together.
Life is good,I hope to you.
With all the blessings life can bring.
Our life did begin with a ring,
The day we heard the Angels sing.
The road ahead is shorter, you know.
From the road where we started,
So long, long ago.
May the brnd in the paths,
Comfort you all the way you have yet to go.
GOOD-BYE MY LOVE I LOVE YOU
I FOUND THIS AND THOUGHT YOU MIGHT WANT IT ALSO IT IT WILL HELP. ...ALWAYS MAC -
Thanks for my shiny cups.
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My thoughts and energies keep extending across
the water to your hearts. Please know my writes
as well as the others were written not to be winners, but to be comforts of words.
Blessings and Light, Blue
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Blessed are those who grieve, for they teach us how to recognize humbled dignity. Ty for the opportunity to share compassion. Congratulations to all.
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dearest carol,
I have discovered this truly touching and sensitive video by a spiritual teacher called mooji, concerning the blessings of grief ... and the aloneness that permits us to turn within ...
instead of leaning towards distraction from grief, wholly embrace grief and the tears ... realizing the deep aliveness contained in grief :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPh8GbKgOJc
heartfelt blessings,
maa
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This was a sad and beautiful event, Marion, thank you for letting us comfort Henri and each other with our experiences and thoughts. Your generosity with cups and points is much appreciated. Congratulations to the top three, thank you Marion, blessings to all.
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Thank You!!
Thank You for the HM and points for I am Honored also Appreciative
Congratulations to all who placed
I'm Honored to have been able to bring forth words with Love also Light- Hope they provided some comfort~
Thank You for Hosting Sweet Souls!
Many blessings to You Both
also to Your cousin Henri
Best wishes in all You do
and much love & light~ Desire~*~
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To Marion and jean-marc
I am humbled and so happy that all of our poems brought memories and peace to your cousin. To have made my small, but sincere contribution was indeed my gift of love. Congratulations to all, who poured out your hearts to Henri and his family!
Namaste!
Much love,
Linda
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Dear maa,
I am so sorry that I didn't see this contest when you were calling for help. I am so sorry my heart wasn't here to cry with yours as you dealt with your own grief and I am so sorry I didn't get to write something for Henri on time...but if it is okay with you, I am still going to write something right from my heart now. You don't have to pass it on but I just want Henri to know that he is not alone. I'm sure he doesn't feel that way when he has all your love and best wishes being sent to him but I remember that when Niamh died, when Grandda died, and when Nora died I was in shock for so long. I cried and everyone hugged me and told me it would get better...Well, I know now that the pain never gets better, it just gets easier but it was a few months after they died, when everyone had gone back to normal life and no one remembered to hug each other that I felt most alone and most empty. That is when I missed them the most and I just want Henri to know that if that is how he is feeling right now, he is not alone and my heart is there with his. I know he doesn't know me but I want him to know I care. Beneath here is my message for him.
I love you,
Ellie
Dear Henri,
My name is Ellie and I am 12 years old. I know you don’t know me but I wanted to share some thoughts with you. I hope that is okay. . I know what it is like to lose someone who makes your heart dance with joy and beat with love. I know what it is like to wake up feeling empty or just not quite whole. It’s not easy to come to terms with that feeling but please know that every day that you feel like that, I am wishing you the best thoughts in the world to make you strong. I will pray for Claude who is at peace now. She might have left this earth unexpectedly but she is always in your heart, isn’t she? In that sense, she is never gone. It’s just that instead of being by your side, she is inside your heart. Love never dies and neither does hope, or at least that's what I believe
. I hope your future is filled with happy memories that you can share with Claude in your heart.
With love,
Ellie
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my dearest ellie,
your message is in the process to be printed out and to be joined to a gift we are preparing to send to henri this afternoon ... now I know why we hadn't sent the ready package yet ... it has been waiting for almost a week here, for no evident reason - but obviously because your letter had to be included !
thank you so much, my dear heart
I love you,
marion
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