Eloi cut his beard today.
Just like he did the last 10 springs I've known him.
A long distance runner
Eloi retired from the army
-in a wheel chair
when doctors told him he would never walk again.
He proved them wrong.
He doesn't slug the gyp-rock
because of his back.
But he does everything else:
fixs machinery
runs the snowplow
speaks English
French
German
a smattering of Russian
a little Greek from his time as a peace keeper in Cyprus.
That is - I suppose - where
he fine tuned his balance and judgement.
-"You needed to be absolutely neutral there" he said
"the two antagonists could smell the least favouritism."
"But" he added "They always knew when you were being fair."
But I'm getting off topic:
Eloi cut his beard today
And just like every other year I teased him:
'Molting cats are a sign of spring.'
Just like the geese flying north
over Lac St-Pierre.
Author notes
Eloi is pronounced ELL-WAH. It is a french-canadian name that is more associated with the older generation. It's not a common name but my father knows another Eloi, Eloi Durelle, a boxer who is probably worthy of a poem.
Written April 27th, 2006
Photo:http://www.tourismeboisfrancs.com/PagesFr/album.asp
In a list
A contest entry
- Military Muse by condor.
4350 points, ended October 31, 27 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 14 of 14
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Eloi's is the type of person that we treasure. He doesn't take it lying down and stand up and says so...in his own way. This is a wonderful piece which I have read before and you may remember my comments from last time. To add to them here, I will say that this beautifully simple poem gave me a view of a real valiant individual who saw life and grabbed it with both hands. He gave his all for his country and is still giving with his heart. Excellent tribute which I really really love. thank you so much for entering and the very best in the contest.
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As an update:
I wrote this three and a half years ago; and in the autumn of '07 Eloi had quadruple bypass surgery (the same as an x-Canadian PM in the same hopital a week earlier).Believe it or not; after a winter's recouperation, he was back in the spring like gangbusters! You said it:" he doesn't take it lying down !" He will likely retire next year at 65- but he is still an outstanding worker and a force to be reconed if you try to "give 'em the gears"!
And in keeping with the poem...winter's coming: his beard is about 3 weeks old now...
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Nice thoughts, and you brought the person of whom you were speaking right into being for the reader so that by the end of the poem the reader would feel as if he knew him too.
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Excellent
A very fine write, indeed. You expressed yourself quite well. Thanks for sharing this one with us. Again, well done. -
Ah the love of one's fellow man
I so seldom see these little stories truth be told, it would surely make an interesting movie on the IFC.
Yet how many other Eloi's stories remain untold for in this day and age it is only of the youth and inexperience that we do revere.
"speak English
French
German
a smattering of Russian
a little Greek from his time as a peace keeper in Cyprus."
These lines do speak to me of the culture of the land for all immigrants mingle and somehow languages seem to meld into some languashing pot of distant memories.
I like it, I like it so!
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Thanks for your thoughts! Glad you enjoyed my poem,AWP!
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I thought this was a really nice little story. I like it when someone proves the medical experts wrong. It's the gutsy spirit inside that says, hey, no way. I can do it. A great story that tells us something of Eloi's life before and after. Whay is Gypse by the way? Another great piece from a specialist writer. Well done, my friend.
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I really liked this, it makes me want to meet Eloi. I like how the poem was really a story, just written in the form of poetry. Very nice.
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Thanks for the comment. It was writen for someone I genuinly respect.
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splendid
Wonderful! This speaks your words into a story. I love the way you tell it, it is so Capote. I thoroughly enjoyed this and think you did a splendid job!
Hugs WolfHeart -
He sounds like a fascinating character.
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This is an interesting poem with a lot of heart and soul in it, as well as sharing something that is common in a not so common circumtance about a not so common person at all.
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This was an excellent poem. I really liked the style of it. It's very simple and fluid in presentation, yet creative and meaningful behind the surface.
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It sounds like Eloi is a good man. He has a good friend too. I enjoy poetic prose much more than poetry. Writes like this one are the reason why.
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