~by Gregg Rowe~
Promise me:
When I exhale my last breathe
roll back my hazel eyes
which will be blackened by the
Grim Reaper,
that you will cry
in happiness
since I will suffer no longer
Promise me:
You will
announce my death
under the columns of "Pride Lives"
in Xtra and Capital Xtra
under "In Memoriam"
in Fugues and RG
and Angles:
Give them my black and white photo
where I am drinking a scotch
and holding a cigarette
When my body is cold
like the slab that I will
be placed upon,
before they put me in
the crematorium
shave my stubble beard
that I grew after I had died,
gel my hair and slick it back
and let the curls flow along my shoulders
like I always wear it.
Do not place me in an expensive wooden box
that will be eaten by worms
and earthly insects
decomposing me to nothing
If you need a service
bury my Guess jeans,
cowboy boots,
Garth Brooks shirt,
cowboy hat,
and anything you deem necessary
so that I may look good
wherever I may be going
Divide my ashes
in half,
giving one-half to Jacqueline
to place in the Fraser River
in Vancouver,
where the seabus travels across
the soft nights of summer
from downtown to North Van
Take the other half
and place them in the St. Laurent River
so that one day
after travelling around the world
visiting Europe, Mexico, Cuba,
Russia, China and Africa
where it all started
I will join as a whole again
Give the empty urn
to my grey-haired mother
as a souvenir
and tell her:
"It's empty because
you were not in his life."
Let her cry on your shoulder
for a couple of seconds
Then dismiss her
like she did me
Promise me:
You will rent the
Mississippi Club
and throw an Irish wake
in my honour
Take my Italian leather
telephone book and call
all my friends, family and contacts
across Canada
and break the news
Don't be shy...invite them!
You will buy four brass flag poles
and fly the Unicorn,
Rainbow, Parti Quebecois
and Friends for AIDS flags.
The room will be decorated
with green balloons;
solid red,
checker black and white,
and rainbow ribbons
Promise me:
That if you see
me suffer
you will place a joint,
a line of coke,
a warm snifter of grand Mainer,
and my pills
beside my bed night table
and I will do the rest
Promise me:
you will dance
and drink
and do a line of coke
in my honour
Promise me:
you will go on
Author notes
Number 1
The magazines are weeklies that publish obits with the words 'died from AIDS' in the text. Checker black and white balloons are the symbol for safe sex. PS: This started out to be an experiment in writing my will and mandate in poetry form...it just went a little deeper for me than planned.
The Calm Before The Storm/Le calme avant le storme (2003)
Oil on Canvas 14 x 20
Gregg Rowe
Collection: Alain Paradis
This is the most photographed rock in Gaspe (Quebec), Canada...people come from all over the world to see this site. It was a pleasure to sit and paint this rock day by day as the lighting forever changed during the whole process.
Written December 4th, 2001
In a list
- HIV and AIDS • next in list
- In memoriam • next in list
- Showcasing His Oil Paintings through Poetry • next in list
A contest entry
- Loved and Lost by heather 802.
300 points, ended March 3, 2005, 20 entries
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
What did you think
Comments
1 - 30 of 30
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My favorite of yours.
This is one of my favorite poems of yours. Promise me, never to stop writing, my dear friend. -
This is sad and beautiful at the same time. It's sad that you've had time and reason to think such thoughts, but beautiful for your friends and family in the way that they will know what to do as your final wish. The two rivers is a lovely idea. Take care, Heather x
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I've come back and read this again. It still touches me very deeply and it still makes me cry, I know that by all rights it shouldn't, as it's so up beat and not filled with any self pity or sorrow, it's just, oh I don't know, you just have such a presence, such a powerful life force it just seems inconceivable that that should ever be taken away.
Kat xxx -
I am just completely blown away by this...I'm not even sure what to say, exactly. I think it is wonderful that you are so willing to share so much of yourself with us...and I am happy to have found your page. I look forward to reading more of your writes.
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An extordinary Write
I see, I hear, I feel,
BRAVO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
~Katie~
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Gregg, first off I absolutely love this painting, the colours are so brilliant and so vibrant, no wonder people come from all over the world to see this wonderful rock. Your Poem is wonderful also, I really enjoyed reading it my friend~Love~Joan
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this was a very deep poem..makes u think about what u want when u leave the earth..i liked this a lot and thank u for entering my contest, it is greatly appreciated
good luck
kay -
When my body is cold
like the slab that I will
be placed upon,
before they put me in
the crematorium
shave my stubble beard
that I grew after I had died,
gel my hair and slick it back
and let the curls flow along my shoulders
like I always wear it.
Do not place me in an expensive wooden box
that will be eaten by worms
and earthly insects
decomposing me to nothing
These lines brought a shiver to my spine and made me tremble. It made me think of my own mortality, and brought to life the freaky thoughts I've had ever since my grandfather died yesterday afternoon overbroad. ..
The painting on the otherhand seems to shine with home..I like the reflections.. -
I see Cynicism 101, living up to your name, I had the same question running through my mind as I was reading the rules, but since it is a week and 12 hours before my death or Doomsday, my family will recieve it by e-mail before the castrophic end...I hope. Gregg
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I like this but am confused: if it's doomsday, doens't that mean everyone dies? So who's going to bury the narrator in her Guess jeans if everyone else is dead too?
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oh wow...this is really good. almost brought tears to my eyes. it's so beautiful how you want all these things done for you when you pass on from this life, such meaningful things at that. very good write.
always
blanket -
I know I wasn't supposed to but I couldn't help it, as I sat and read this the tears just rolled down my face. None of us like to have to think about our own mortality, but unfortunately some are faced with it sooner rather than later. This made me feel very fragile.
Kat xxxx -
i love the painting, the colours you have used are excellent. death in poetry, flowing along so calmly it seems to me.
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the answer is human. we start off as a baby at morning and walk on all fours. we then grow and are middle aged by noonish and walk upright then finally we grow too old to walk without a cane but dusk. im really tired and dont make much sense to myself i would probably think i was drunk if i looked at this at anytime other then 2:30 am.
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What kind of a comment is this?
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eighty five pages of poem shocking but true. is rambling what we do best? or is it deciet? i like to ramble a lot more then i do decieving people. or am i decieveing you? you will never know unless you find out the answer to my riddle (its a famous one) what has four legs in the morning, two legs in the afternoon and three legs in the evening? comment on mine to find out the answer unless you already know it.
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Gregg, thank you for your comment on my poem, “within~ from above~ and the place of hope” I appreciate your observations and what stood out for you. The poem is, like me, still in progress. I hope to grow up before I grow old. I did the “return the favor” thingy again and got taken here to the past, to your poem here, “Promise Me”. As a poem, I think it is amazing, but then, I am a whole lot prejudiced. The style and form, I really have to leave to the others who are better equipped to critique the structure of this. As far as content goes, I find it solemn and reverent with dark overtones. Much like the water in your painting, Reflective, yet darkly mysterious. Attempting to chart depths of a life, as this seems to do, has got to be difficult at best. But as I’ve perused your writings, you seem to be exploring two shores. This shore and the next. Your poem has an almost liturgical feel to it. As if in the Holy of Holies as the incense is rising. For what its worth I am honored to know your work and wish for you health to keep writing and encouraging others with your work. And as far as promises, I am not in your circle of comrades to do most of what you would ask, but I will honor your work and I will go on. Thank you for allowing me to make comments, ~richard
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Macbeth
I'm still laughing because I want everyone to be jovial and celebrate my death as they did my life...with laughter! l
Macbeth1023 1 day ago
"Don't Look Down" 92 critiques, 34 poems. said:
i loved this...but that is nothing new! this was so bitter sweet, it almost made me cry and ironicly the point was that i shouldn't...lol...
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i loved this...but that is nothing new! this was so bitter sweet, it almost made me cry and ironicly the point was that i shouldn't...lol...
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I have to leave Grand Manier, it was my all-time favorite drink before I went into rehab, especially served in a heated snifter, I just loved the aroma as it hit my nostrils before I had tasted the first sip of it, intoxicating.
Edited on Apr 08, 11:42 because ''. -
standing ovation!
Healthy or ill ...no one escapes death or knows when it's their time to die. That's why I take one day at a time and worry about tomorrow when it gets here.
This is indeed a very touching write..and worded to these eyes perfectly! I would change one thing though...I would change the Grand Mainer to Drambuie...oh, ok...this is your poem so I guess you can leave your favourite drink in it Do you hear my clapping? Bravo!
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I live each day as if it is my last
Never know what can happen~
Enjoy what I am blesse with
Awesome write and you have everything planned~
Many do not even know what time it is~
Very powerful piece and the pic~Gorgeous
I see the rock of strength
Stands alone~Unique but rises above~
Best wishes to you in the contest sweetie~
Big hugs and much love~Desire
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This was too sad, and the author comment really made me cry. This was beautiful like all the others of yours that I have read, but still so sad.
-ALLISSIA
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A sad story, but told in a gentle manner that tells your heart and something perhaps we all share as humans- to live, to love, and leave a legacy.
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Hi Angel:
If there is a 'hell' I am sure it is paradise as compared to my mortal life on earth has been. Do I believe in 'Heaven' and 'Hell' per se. Hmm. It is a decision that I am in no hurry to answer right away...as I continue on my journey of self-discovery this question will keep popping up and only the moment that I arrive at the answer is the day I can give it back to you.
Edited on Mar 29, 9:58 because ''. -
great write you did a really good job on it
Thank you for entering my contest and I wish you the best of luck in it as well....
take care and god bless
~~~~~~~ Soulz ~~~~~~~~~~ -
I love this, But I hated it too, it's so weird, bittersweet and sour. I don't like people who take drugs, or suacide or anything like that, but I loved the cold shoulder you gave your mother after she would expect you to forgive her for whatever she had done to you. I loved it how you put real names in, to show that it's a real question, asking somebody to promise you these things, instead of a normal poem about random words to make you feel something. It's like you don't care about if people like it, because it's real, and personal, not just written to make other people feel somehting when reading it. I absolutely loved it that you want to keep your body the same in death, instead of wearing fancy clothes and a fancy coffen, etc etc.. I don't think I disliked anything about it, except this part:
"When I exhale my last breathe
roll back my hazel eyes
which will be blackened by the
Grim Reaper,
that you will cry
in happiness
since I will suffer no longer"
I like it but I don't think you can really know that Death brings no more pain, maybe you go to 'hell' or another 'dimention' like that, it depends what you believe I guess. Anyway, I don't know why you would of read all thsi stuff i'm going on about
So yeah, beautiful poem.
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Hi Genielassie:
I like to take my time to respond to profound messages left on my poems, but I needed a quick clarification before it gets misunderstood: the line 'do a line of coke' was written for two reasons: (1) I would definately do one to help release the pain instead of morphine that seems not to work after awhile and (2) it is in rememberance of days that have since gone by with a friend of mine that also changed his life around, I know that when I die he would do it anyways so I wrote it in so he wouldn't think I would be angry if he really DID decide to do it. That choice would be his and he will have my permission because I know what it is like to lose someone and to go through pain, I do not condemn people for their actions, they have to take responsibility for them themselves.
Edited on Mar 29, 10:31 because 'Spelling and clarification on a few facts'. -
Well, you certainly can pull me into your writing, and I guess I can agree with all the meathods of ending life...as long as it was my own, though I can't personally agree that I'd want anyone whom I ever cared about in my life to do a line of coke as a last request.... that is I guess, unless everyone I knew was already an adict and one more line is already in their furture, then they might as well dedicate it to me eh? Lovely write and best of wishes...~genielassie~
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beauty
This is amazingly touching. I'm glad for the explanation of the checker balloons because that went right over my head. This is a wonderful peice of work, but now I really have to drag myself off the machine and go to bed, but I need to add you to my favorites first. You have such talent.
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