Friday, December 18, 2009

Candles & french fries, boston terriers & choral music, angels and cornflower blue...





To know and to love: the same thing - Theodore Roethke
 

C h r i s s i e   E l l e n   M a h o n e y

- - - 9 August 1953 - 17 December 2009 - - -

5 comments:

  1. Claire, this is a perfect and beautiful tribute to our darling friend Chrissie. I keep returning to it. These candles will always be aflame. With love, P xx

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  2. So sorry about your friend.

    The line from Roethke is beautiful.

    I cut my poetic teeth on Roethke: he taught at the University of Washington many years before I attended, and I do believe his ghost inhabited Savery Hall, where we gave poetry readings for years.

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  3. Yes I am sorry for the loss of your friend. How young she was.

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  4. Hi Map - what a glorious service that was. She asked for the works, and got it. Dear, mischievous Chrissie, pulling the wool over everyone's eyes about her age! Ten years younger to some, unknown age to others, a year younger to us. I will leave her birthdate here as we 'knew' it.

    T.Clear - thank you for your message. I choose to trust that our friendships endure beyond life as we know it, but yes, I will miss her greatly.

    Roethke is one of my all-time favourite poets. I especially love his poem 'The Waking' -

    'I wake to sleep and take my waking slow
    I learn by going where I have to go...'

    Mary - thank you. Chrissie was young, yes - she always wanted to live to the age of 88. In spirit, she was wise beyond those years, all '5ft-nothing' of her - and, as you see, we didn't know how old she really was, not even after fifteen years of friendship! Good on her.

    Happy Christmas all. L, C xxx

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  5. And Merry Christmas to you Claire with all your lovely lights and lovely thoughts. Keep blogging next year won't you -- I love to come and visit.

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