I was heart-broken when I heard,
A friend of mine killed himself on December 3rd.
He was like an older guardian and brother to me,
If I had a problem, he was the guy to see.
He's gone now, and I am still very sad,
I can barely chuckle at the good times we had.
But, the other day, I had a dream about this guy
That made me laugh so hard, I nearly cried.
It made me feel better, and what I would like I do,
Is share this rather odd, funny dream with you.
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I died at a very young age, and I was walking through the sky,
When I came across a tall, white-robed, bearded guy.
I told him my name, and he said his was Saint Peter,
Which made my arrival to heaven much, much sweeter.
I asked him where I might find my friend, whom I called Burch,
I explained to St. Peter that he was my friend from Earth.
He told me where Burch was, and pointed west,
Telling me my wings would get me there best.
When I found Burch in a giant white Lazy-Boy chair,
I looked at him and said, "hello Burch," with a sweet air.
He looked at me for a few mili-seconds, as fear creeped into his eyes,
And the next thing I heard was him yelling, "Oh SHIT!" across the skies.
(You see, Burch taught me how to fight pretty well,
And, he knew I was going to kick his ass, even if he landed in hell.)
Then, he got up from his chair and began running as fast as he could,
But, he came to find, that it did him absolutely no good.
I tackled him down to the fluffy, white floor,
And, I gave him a kick, then another, followed by a few more.
I stopped and asked if we were still friends, like we were before death,
When we said we were, I kept kicking him until I needed a rest.
Then, we embraced each other as though it were the first time,
And, heaven seemed to glow brighter because of the sun's shine.
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Yes, Burch is still, and always will be, missed very much in my heart,
In a way, this dream tells me we aren't really, truly apart.
He can still guide me, and watch me with an alert eye,
And, I know he will because he was just that kind of guy.
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Burch, take it like a man; wait for me by the big, gold and white gate.
I'm going to kick your ass, sorry, at least you know your new fate!
*Much love, Burchfield*
Author notes
I know this isn't my best work but, it's good considering I've been having writer's block.
Robert Burchfield was one of my closest friends. He killed himself on the 3rd of December. I miss him alot. I really did have this dream, and I woke up laughing! What you have to understand is, Burch was my friend, brother AND guardian. Before he moved, he taught me how to defend myself. Just the thought of him being scared of me makes me laugh a bit!
Anyways, please tell me what you think!
P.S. Take a look at his author's page.... He never posted anything, but it's always worth a look. allpoetry.com/poets/Grunt%20221 . Thanks
Written January 11th, 2006
A contest entry
- for my favorites by leander.
900 points, ended December 30, 2008, 7 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 21 of 21
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This is very well written - the most beautiful pieces come in all their simplicity, and the writer's heart...
Well done!
Leander
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beautiful
that was so so sweet and funny even with the story behind it. very moving. -
Great words amazing.
There are no words to express how great a write that poem is. I'm glad you saw him again and i'm glad you got to say good bye in your own way. He knows and is with you everyday you have to believe that, it helps you through. -
That's funny shit right there Holly. That's the kind of stuff that'll help you get over his death. Hell if any of my friends killed themselves, I'd kick their asses so hard their proctologist would feel it.
~Dylan~ -
holly i know we dont talk much but this is a great poem and i can imagine you and burchfield and i just want you to know that it made me smile too we all miss him a lot
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Great poem
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Phenomenal..Me soowwwwie to hear bout that dude...Me feel even sowwier for him though...He's probably dreading every day...probably be like...Thank you god...She isnt here yet..
*lol*...Remind me never to tell you to kick my ass...
Anyways, Your work always seems to brighten up my day ... *Hugs and kisses her* I hope you're cool now n stuff...Though...I know you're a survivor and can handle your self...And i'm sure you're friend felt the same way...
So I'm pretty sure...He's giving you that 'extra' protection...cuz he doesnt wanna get his ass kicked anytime soon..
*LUV YA*
BOO!!!!!
HAPPY NEW YEAR AND ALL THAT DRAMA'S
Missed you alot.
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AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW... this was funny... it made me laugh...lol... You did a great job on this... you portrayed the humor in the dream very well... anyone who reads this is bound to get a good swift kick in the funny bone... You did great on this... so don't sweat it... lol... Keep up the good work and I am soooooooooooooo sorry about your friend....
~:Kitten:~ -
Its alway hard when you lose someone, so when you get the oppurtunity to think of them with a chuckle or a smile you should take full adcantage of that moment. Even though that person may be gone you hav the right to remember with a smile and not a tear. So good on you for sharing this dream.
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sad/funny
Thats so sad...and then again is has that bit of humor in it as well. I can see what you mean by brother and guardian, for I too had one like him, but he is gone (not dead, but something else you know like...ummm he's become an a**hole and hates me now?) Oh well this piece is very beautiful, funny, and sad, and I feel for you. I hope that everything slowly comes into place and life begins to treat you better. Good luck and good day.
DeathEmperorDaeron -
Thank you for sharing this dream with us. I'm sorry to hear about your friend, brother in spirit and mentor. The loss must be huge.
There were a couple places where the pronouns got mixed. I would presume from the emotion involved in the actual process of writing.
The emotion was obvious and honest. The fight was just contradictory enough to provide a dose of humor and symbolize the anger I am sure you feel about the whole situation. The best part is that you still love him.
Awesome, man. Overall, I enjoyed the poem and that you shared this story with me. Thanks. :-) -
Hey poet, you can share my bottle any time
I used to have both a friend who was a a Burchfield, and knew of a Senator Burchfield in Tennessee. This poem brings back memories. Happy ones at that.
Ha! Great new take on the whole suicide lost friend thang. I'm sorry to read about your loss, but happy that you're not moping, and happy too that you can honor your friend with this humor. -
Something written like this helps get it out of your system, less stress and more acceptance of the fact that your friend is gone but you will get him back one day - kind of cute, but tragic too. Glad you wrote this, for yourself and others who kind of knew your friend.
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Good work
This is a very good poem, It tells quite a story, Good luck and keep writeing. -
This is a really sweet piece. I love the message that the poeple that you love are always with you, when when they're not physically around. I love the description of the dream. How you tied it in with great rhyme and rhythm. I love how personal this is for you. This is an awesome piece. Great write. You can tell from this piece how close and how much you felt for you friend. May he rest in peace. - cgirl0410
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I admit in the beginning I saw no humor at all i guess b/c the sadness just hitted me slowly but then as i read on i could see what and where the humor aspects kick in
Rae -
Excellent beautifully orchestrated... your au
What an amazing dream beautifully told
A wonderful tribute to your friend I'm so sorry for your loss Wishing you and your friend, love, peace, joy, blessings, wisdom
Two thumbs up!! Alas, I am out of applause and this wonderful piece is so deserving
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i like it. i think ppoetry is a reflection of your feelings and emotions. obvioulsly this is what you are releasing now. i think it is great all things considered. i believe that if anyone tells you differently they need to re read it until they change their mind because it is Excellent.
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good write
I agree with the above comment that this is a real poem, about how you're actually coping, without resorting to trite cliches. I hope that this piece has been a little of a salve for your loss. On the critical end, good use of slant rhyme! it irritates me when people mess that up.
Keep up the good work. -
I opened this thinking that you were writing about THE Robert Burchfield, the lexicographer. So this poem came as something as a surprise... Please accept my condolences...
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fantastic
oh god, you are the best kind of person. You're not overly and annoyingly optimistic, nor do you use annoying and trite language like "my bloody wrists" or "death roses" or crap like that. I love your hope and your humor, and I LOVE how you get yourself through this by envisioning a severe ass kicking. I actually think I (platonically) love you!
My condolences, and admiration!
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