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Richard Walker

Dear Bryan Wynter

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Edited by Richard Walker, Thursday, 7 Jul 2016, 22:41

Just a few weeks back an old school friend died in extremely sad circumstances.

I thought briefly that I might be able to write a requiem, but I see now that I can't.

Whatever I produced would be a poor imitation of the poem in the title. It was the first thing that came in to mind when I heard the news, even while I was still listening on the phone.

Dear Bryan Wynter

This is only a note
To say how sorry I am
You died. You will realize
What a position it puts
Me in. I couldn’t really
Have died for you if so
I were inclined. The carn
Foxglove here on the wall
Outside your first house
Leans with me standing
In the Zennor wind.

I love it for the voice: matter of fact, but still wondering why a person can be gone, yet we feel them close.

Bryan Winter was a real person, and here you can hear the background to what I think is a marvelous poem. You will also be able to hear the poet's own voice.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01f117r

The circumstantial detail: the blue hat, the long legs, the foxglove, the church: wormed their way inside my head the first time I read the poem.

The complete poem is here.


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