in memory of
Del Warren Livingston
(1944—2005)
A full life’s never ended; it merely passes on
new inspirations wrought from memories
like stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns.
Your time had come to shed the mortal dream;
although you wake beyond our veil as if from heavy slumber,
your remnants ripple through our half-lit realm.
And if you find yourself reflecting where you’ve gone
on all you’ve left undone, well just remember:
a full life’s never ended—it merely passes on.
We who float within your wake can hardly help but wonder;
we guess and grope for answers to our loss
although you wake beyond our veil as if from heavy slumber.
Despair would not become you despite your waning moons;
you strove instead to leave creative memoirs
like stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns.
The mystery conceals you like a shroud;
now left with only memories of all you planned to do,
we guess and grope for answers to our loss.
You chanced that every evening would reproduce the dawn;
unfinished projects bear the keen reminder:
a full life’s never ended; it merely passes on
a sense of oak leaves newly formed and foals of chestnut hue
to those who valued more than just your presence,
now left with only memories of all you planned to do.
The minds you’ve touched remain to bear the human trance,
yet still your essence drifts in memory
like stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns.
Your intuitions leave prospective imprints
and phase from tangibility as cloudscapes phase from view
to those who valued more than just your presence.
So long as breath sustains, your friends shall hold within
the insights you have offered as mementos;
a full life’s never ended; it merely passes on
like stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns.
The blood that fueled your living form returns to join our roots;
your time had come to shed the mortal dream
and phase from tangibility; as cloudscapes phase from view,
your remnants ripple through our half-lit realm.
Author notes
some of del's poems and a brief bio: www.cowboypoetry.com/dellivingston.htm
to learn more about the hybridanelle: allpoetry.com/Column/1086828/all=1
Written November 9th, 2005
In a list
What did you think
Comments
1 - 89 of 89
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Great work
that is a very nice poem about your friend, i think he would like this -
Ha Ha! this is the very first one I ever commented on.... that was weird seeing that again....
Still a great write though...
KAY -
excellent!~!
I swear you and the dictionary must be on good terms with each other. That is a compliment by the way.... Your descriptives are out of this world but not so far that we (the readers) are not able to get a glimpse of the magic that occurs when you decide to describe in your work. I know that the human could have always accomplished something more by the time death comes to call but what about those really old people at the end ,on their death bed, smiling because they feel like they have fulfilled what was mean't to be by them? What about that whole concept of destiny or fate? Those have a role in here somewhere. Excellent work!
jake
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good job
I thought I had commented on this before. I can't find the message though. In any case, this is a great poem, written for a great reason. There's nothing I can see to change or any reason to do so. Good job. -
True art expressed.
This is moving and thought provoking to where it makes the reader think that no matter the accomplishments they bundle up in life they have still left that mystrey "What else could they have fulfilled in life?" It makes me want to put every dream I have ever had down on paper. You inspire. -
Excellent
I can plainly recognize that this is not the result aimless misfit thoughts traveling through your mind. You truly feel the sorrow and respect that resonates from this wonderful piece. -
Great
The cloudscapes and all there wrappings layer well, or foals of chestnut seem appropriate this xmas, merry Xmas . -
I really hope that in passing, our loved ones can somehow reach our thoughts. You obviously cared a lot about this friend. If only everyone had friends like that. This poem wasn't just good or beautiful or tender. It was the essence of what friendship means to me. what it says to me. I've never felt as moved as I do by this poem and the repetition really gets me. It really pounds in my mind as I read it over and over again. I hope that one day I can write as well as you have. I envy your talent and will continue working to improve myself. Kudos for your skill and your love man.
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wow thats a lot of comments lol but i love this poem
wishuwereirish -
There's nothing I can say that hasn't been said, and nothing I can say that would do justice to your poetry. In a word, inspiring.
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A great job.
I agree this is the best epitah that I have read in some time. This includes ones that were written for friends of mine which turned out to be rather boring. You came out with a true tribute to Del and I know he would have been proud. -
From what i know of Del, he would be smiling to read this. He was a true advocate of poetry and form and his applause would be long and enthusiastic. You have done an excellent job, Erin, not only in your tribute to him but also in the quality of the write. Applauding here.....
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I never knew Del, and didn't read any of his poetry until after he had died, which is unfortunate. From what everyone has said about him, he was a wonderful person, someone worth taking the time to get to know.
Your poem - I am always in awe of your talent when I read anything of yours, and sometimes I just don't know what to say. This is one of those times. I throughly enjoyed reading this piece. But everything I type just seems to be trite and repetitive - so - I will say thank you for writing this and sharing it with us. It is a beautiful poem. -
LW: you leave such wistful comments.
i believe Yeates was the first to use "the mortal dream" (as opposed to coil), but the name of the poem isn't coming to me. it was a native american type poem that seemed to me one of his experimental pieces.
yes, this poem attempts to celebrate not only the life of my departed friend, but the life he left behind (his sons and daughters), and the lives he touched along the way--and the nature of life in general.
thanks for swinging by again.
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Meritorious to say the least ...
This poem, rather than being elegiac, celebrates life. The stanzas are memorable because of the fine poetic lines and their refrainesque repetition. I need not quote them back to you but some of the metaphors are comparable with well-known professionals in print. 'the mortal dream' is a subtle twist from Hamlet, 'the mortal coil'. I'll come to your poems, Erin, when I need some intellectual and wings-of-poesie exercise! Thanks, Lyndon Wise. -
I met Del through your pages and quickly became a friend. His words, his mind, his helpful spirit will always be remembered.
This is a beautiful and warmfelt poem to honour such a lovely man and poet
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Dear Erin,
Thank you very much for making a point that I get this link.
I loved Del, he had a tender spirit and great heart. I communicated with him daily.
You did a wonderful job writing this poem. I was left in tears as I read your tribute. I wish I could have sat and talked with this great man, like you did. I wrote a poem to go with original contest held by Poetryality. It was not a tribute, but a wish of having met Del in this world. I know that I will meet him in a better place. If you would like to read my humble poem for him, you can find it at: allpoetry.com/Poem/1535861
Again, thank you for pointing me in the direction of your poem and the link to his Cowboy Poetry.
Cheryl
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Erin, Your work is astounding. This is a beautiful tribute, and a beautiful thought: Life continues, passed on by those we touch. Bravo!
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Awwww... this is such a sweet memorial poem...but I agree life doesn't just die, it pases on to another life or becomes another little innocent life.. Keep the ink flowing and the ideas rushing!!!
~:shay:~ -
i lvoed this. Great choce of words..no amazing choice of words. thanks for sharing
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burn the floor dude!
fabulous ! fantastic . u have really said a lot . i really admire your thoughts. keep it up -
What a stirring epitath for a friend. I hope you sent this to his family.
Obviouly well thought out, and it speaks of hope and permanence.
Beautiful write Erin.
Thank you for enlightening me of the form used, and used brilliantly.
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well done
Very well done
you kept to the formating with a very solid pen.
Great work and I appreciate the effort to keep within this stucture
hmmmmmmmmm what's it called again?
Perhaps you could leave a note in your author notes about the structur so as to help those that seem confused? -
Glorious!!!
Absolutely glorious write and a very touching memorial as well as a skilled rendition of the form. You're batting 1000 with this one!!! Write On!!! -
Inspirational!
And yes the life continues on through the memories and the deeds of truly wonderful people who have impressed their signature on all whom they have touched.And surely they are not dead,the essence is breathed in.Exquisite imagery,poignant not sad as the hope of life eternal shines through.A poem that immortalizes a great person.The roots are deep and just like the oak tree can never be felled.A Poem of great merit and hope.A pleasure to share with you. -
This is a very well written tribute for your departed friend. It is a matter of coincidence that I have also lost a very dear friend, who was (26) two years junior to me , a research scholar in the quantum gravity group. I can so well understand the feeling of loss, and the atmosphere your hybridanelle dispenses as if mourning the loss and bringing a life which may have touched many, again to relive. I can see optimism, though it is written on a loss. I particularly liked "stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns". Thanks for sharing this work.
D
Edited on Nov 22, 5:15 because 'typo'. -
you are a beautifull writer and person, im left remembering all my projects unfinished.
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Fantastic
Peaceful...soothing...beautiful. That poem was fantastically written, and defeinetly came straight from the heart! -
What a beautiful heart felt poem. Its almost like a song, and it feels so calm and peacefull when you read it. It is sad, but i guess it also speaks of moving on, and about the memories you will always have. beautiful xo
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very nicely penned. its always nice to see a poem that has been written and not just thrown together. when you read it you know it took alot of time and thought. very lovely read..though sad. was worth the read.
blu -
Good
Good write. The form is rather complex and confusing if you don't know what's going on. A beautiful poem and tribute.
~Jessa~ -
this poem was amazing, very nice! i had to read it twice though, not sure why, but i did! haha. but yeah, it sucks to lose someone, as anyone will agree, but i find writing about it can help with the situation, and i hope this helped you with what you're dealing with. and also
" The blood that fueled your living form returns to join our roots;
your time had come to shed the mortal dream
and phase from tangibility; as cloudscapes phase from view,
your remnants ripple through our half-lit realm."
my favorite
nice write! -
haaaaaaaaaaah!
Its a great poem. I like it. It just made me understand what happened to me over time and help me better understand life. This is a good poem Check me out someday. And once again great job -
beautiful and relaxing i loved it
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Hey i loved this poem it was so sad.I know that it is not good to like someone elses pain so i hope you can forgive me for that. This poemreminds me of my grandmother but thanx for sharing this with all of us at allpoery an i am sure that others will like this as mucs as i did. Keep up the good work. ~*Nikki*~
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Insightful, heartwarming and touching. This is a beautifully expressed poem here. Reading it I could feel each and every line and agree wholeheartedly with the overall message.
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i have to comment on the shape of your poem. it's like waves. the kind that just sway vertically. it's rather calming.
-tricia -
?
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That was very touching and poetic.
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good job
Intriguing write. I question "human trance" though. It doesn't seem to work for me. Otherwise, this is as good as it gets. I see your cheering section agrees with me, so that obviously means something. Good job. -
david: ah! yes, the meter. it's pretty regular, actually, just complex.
the odd numbered stanzas each sandwich a pentameter between two hexameters (or three in the eleventh stanza). the caesura in each hexameter occurs between the third and forth feet. the even numbered stanzas alternate between pentameters and heptameters. the heptameters have their caesuras between the fourth and fifth feet. there's a foot here and there that has an extra unaccented syllable, and some of the lines are hypercatalectic.
del really enjoyed disecting my metric inventions.
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This form looks very challenging, and I had to reread the poem a few times to get a handle on it. Since you didn't ask for critical comment I will simply say my favorite stanza was:
"
And if you find yourself reflecting where you’ve gone
on all you’ve left undone, well just remember:
a full life’s never ended—it merely passes on.
"
The more or less regular meter here makes the rhyme and meaning emerge more effectively and some of the other stanzas.
cheers!
David -
very very nice!! i loved it! it was a nice tribute to Del! great write! please keep pinning!! you have a true gift!
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Someday, now for him, "...the mortal will put on immortality." A Biblical saying or quote in my mind. You handled the subject matter well, and did a wonderful "eulegy" for your friend. I like the use of repetition, you used some phrases very powerfullly, I especially liked "like stardust filaments that weave the birth of suns." Thanks for sharing this work. It makes me feel awed and reverent to be back in touch with the Almighty who is always there in our comings and goings. Great work.
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I could only hope that some day i could posses the talent to express the loss of my mother with so talented words.
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beautiful, truely beautiful
wow, i read over this again
...and it was like reading it for the first time.
i liked it alot the first time,
but i guess i really never got the message going through,
but now that read it again i really wanna cry now.
it's such a heart filled piece with some real good descriptions and loving comments.
and i loved how you dedicated this to someone important.
they must have been a wonderful person.
and i'm sorry for your loss.
but remember like your said,
a life's never ended, it's merely passed on,
and i agree fully.
i'm glad you wrote this
and i hope you continue to write great poetry like this one.
remember
live your own life, don't let other's do it for you. -
awesome write
simply loving and beautiful.. i love it.. thank you for sharing your words with me.a sad poem for someone who was well loved it seems. -
amazing poem well written but sad. i realt i have lost a lot of friends,
jess -
This poem is very deep. And seeped with imagery. I really like it.
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This is a beautiful tribute to your friend. So nice to see it here. He was admired by many.
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This might not have anything to do with your poem, but I was just recently thinking about how snall we are -- the earth, people, animals etc....And also the fact that our creation is basically a mystery and that all this space around us (the earth)...where does it lead (if anywhere?) Does it end, does it go on forever...all these gigantic mysteries hovering over our heads.
From this poem, I got a feeling of the creation of us and how it perhaps neglected us.
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Dear Erin,
I read your piece not long after Del passed in a contest, but not so much a contest piece, but as a homage to friend.
I find this just as beautiful.
If you don't mind my saying, it is not unlike RW Emerson
in its fluidness.
Masterful word-weaving and a delight to read.
Del critiqued a couple of my things and I read a few of his. He was a gifted person and had a love for things which extended beyond this medium. He was/is fortunate to have had a friend in you.
Regards...........................John-Las Vegas, Nevada -
subtle
Nice sublte flow this has while keeping in mind of this being a tribute write
Rae -
GREAT
A very loving and touching poem. It was very beautiful,yet enjoyable to read. Great job. Loved it! -
'...Your time had come to shed the mortal dream; although you wake beyond our veil as if from heavy slumber, your remnants ripple through our half-lit realm...' I was not fortunate enough or timely enough to have met Del...He obviously left a deep & lasting impression on many of AP's finest Poets...This is an eloquent, elegant & graceful tribute...He would be proud; anyone would be...This is an impressive undertaking by a masterful hand; this is a very vivid & palpable piece, filled with elaborate detail & a sense of revelation...It is never easy to unlock your Heart...This penning was a veritable feast of the senses...well done, Poet...Thanks for sharing this part of yourself ~ & of Del ~ with all of us here...Be well, Poet... Wanda
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loved it
I love this poem, it givbes me the strenghth tom read write more.
I love how it sorta has a mysterious feeling too it. i loved it alot. so please continue to write such memmorable pieces. and if ya wanna be friends just tell me and we can chat.
live your own life,don't let other live it for you -
wow. this poem is nothing short of amazing. the emotion and detail you use puts the reader in awe. i never thought a poem could render so much meaning but this poem leaves me corrected. i have nothing better to say other than absolutely amazing write. i hope to see more from you.
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beautiful
I really liked this alot, it reminds me of my father who I lost a few years ago. Very deep and heartfelt, tyou have a way of touching others, thanks for writing this. -
wow..thats deep
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Erin,
I am left sitting here in tears. Your words are tender, touching, and true. I imagine we each have work that is unfinished, even while we yet live. There is great sentiment in these lines, they embrace the soul, and lift the spirit.
I miss Del so much. He was such an avid support system for me. I cannot write too much more through the tears. Thank you for this is is sincerely gracious and very beautiful. Thank you also for the link to his page. I was a member of Converging Roads where ten of his other poems are posted., along with several poets from this site.
Someday I hope to be able to write this eloquently.
Much Love,
Renee
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Life Touching
This was truly a beautiful piece.
The warmth could be felt throughout the entire poem, and it flowed beautifully. No single part of this poem seemed to lack emotion, and each part in turn, seemed filled with the right amount.
My favorite stanza is:
" You chanced that every evening would reproduce the dawn;
unfinished projects bear the keen reminder:
a full life’s never ended; it merely passes on"
Like I said, this truly was a beautiful poem, and Del Warren Livingston must be proud to know that he touched so many people's life's. Here is your well deserved, 20th applaud. -
oops! I meant good job! This is a beutiful, touching poem. keep up the good work!
~Amara -
Gppd job!
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eric: i'm happy that i can share this with those who knew him. this is meaningful to me. thank you for reading and for your kind words.
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"You chanced that every evening would reproduce the dawn;"
-Outstanding line.
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I'm not familiar with hybridanelles, but the villanelle is my favorite form, so I took to it immediatly. The repeating lines really stood out; they seemed new with each read. My favorite was, "a full life’s never ended—it merely passes on." Nice!
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beautiful and touching poem....not much to say but that....keep writing
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Amazingly beautiful and... wow. Just... 0.0 *shocked* I'm speechless. Please keep writing, I love your work. It would be a huge dissappointment for you to ever stop writing.
~Alicia~ -
Wow...
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great job
wow, this was an amazing poem. very well written. -
This is lovely work, Erin, colloquial and yet with a timeless insight. I could see Del and his gentle influence peeking through your words, thank you for bringing him so clearly to mind.
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This was very deep. i love your repetition of certain lines throughout the poem. your are a great writer keep it up.
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This Is Ever So Sad!!! :'( This Was So Beautiful! It Was Difficult To Read, Beucase My Page Didn't Load The Background Until I Was Finished.....So I Had To Read A Dull Pink!! *lol* Well I'm Sorry For Your Loss....It's Nice That You Made Him This... You're A True Friend! -Rachel
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that's so.. sad.. I don't want to critique it because.. well.. it's emotion, and emotion warrents no critique. lovely.
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Very well written tribute to a former friend and AP poet. Difficult to write sometimes, as choking up gets in the way, think this is great.
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wow this was a beautiful piece, sweet. well done on a wonderful write.
x x x jen x x x -
I agree with the comments already left. What a beautiful way to honor your friends memory. This was just beautiful. It makes you think about your friends that have passed and reminds you to appreciate and love the ones who are still here. Thank you, this was just beautiful!
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I've been hoping to see this one; but now that it has been finished, posted and enjoyed I'm finding it difficult to comment. I mean.... what does a person say? So, I'm just leaving it this.......... thanks! ..... it's a wonderful tribute to a fine man.
Don -
This is a magnificent tribute to Del. I miss him terribly. Beautifully done. I offer my applause.
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This is a beautiful, beautiful tribute to a friend. I did not know Del, but I sure anyone would be proud to have such an amazing poem written in their name.
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as a long time friend of Del (WAY back before his time at AP) I'll take the liberty of telling you that you'd have made him proud here...and leave my applause in his name.
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tres bien
tres bien. i'm sure he is smiling with this tribute. -
This is such an inspiring poem. Emotive. Provocative. He has been honoured with this poem. What a grand salute.
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Touching
He did inspire and made us better for it. I was proud to know him, as should we all be. Nice tribute. -
great poem
a truely beautiful poem, two thumbs up! -
homage
this is a good tribute to somebody who seems to have inspired you.i think he would be proud to have a poem like this written for him.
all the very best,
myron. -
Amazing
Your words express a grief in a way I and many others could hope to achieve. The respect is throughout the poem. The only word I can use to describe your poem and your ability is that they are both indescribable. -
exqusite
wow. i dont know what to say
that was beautifully
you got me to see the sorrow of what happend, and yet the hidden beauty in it all. it was amazing -
Del would be so pleased, Erin. I know this poem means alot to you, as they all do - its a beautiful work that is full of respect and a sense of loss. It wonderful that Del was able to leave so much of himself behind in his work. It was important to him too, and you have helped to keep it alive here. You always tackle the difficult, and you always succeed - no matter how much time it takes. Such focus, really! Glad to see you have finished the work and posted it - and you are right, the words fit perfectly.
Becky
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