Thursday, March 27, 2008

Farewell Cheese

One week on from the funeral, I still get the urge to send her a message, a link to something I think she'd like, or burn a disc of new distractions. Then I remember that she is gone.

It was a good seven years. In the urban family we choose, she was the big sister I never had; friend, teacher, tormentor, muse. She stood up for me, but could devastate with a line. Having survived an accident that put her in intensive care, she was always available with a dose of perspective in tough times. A black-belt cook, she trained me up from spice wuss to vindaloo victor, and in the end taught me about loss and chest-crushing grief. She laughed at my jokes.

More Christmas in July 2005

Her laugh was explosive and some of my favourite memories of times together are of making her laugh. I'm glad the last time I saw her I got what she could manage of a chuckle out of her.

Bye Cheese. I'll never forget you.


Addendum:

A few months ago I found a book of Japanese death poems; haiku by monks, in some cases the very last thing they did before dying. I found a poem that I thought was apt; I left it in the pub during the wake:

Ware shinaba
sakaya no kame no
shita ni ikeyo
moshi ya shizuku no
moriyasennan

Bury me when I die
beneath a wine barrel
in a tavern.
With luck
the cask will leak.
Moriya Sen'an (d. 1838)

Posted by Dean @ 3/27/2008 09:37:00 pm

Read or Post a Comment

So sorry, Dean.

Posted by Blogger Teej Mahal @ Thursday, April 24, 2008 8:03:00 am #
 
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