Everyday is someone’s birthday, a celebration, a chance to reflect on where you have reached in your life course, a chance for the people you love to come together to celebrate.
Today it is 60 years since Seth was born, a landmark birthday, another one he missed.
Quietly, gently today I will remember the birthdays we were able to celebrate, a chance to remember the love, the joy and happiness.
There will also be anger, anger that has been raging for 10 years anger that Seth never reached 50, and now 10 years after his death he will never get to be 60.
I spent some time this week with a fabulous poet called Beth Calverley and she created a poem that I will share in a few days’ time.
I wrote the poem below which seemed to sum up the anger that Seth never reached 60, and it’s a mirrored anger.
Mirrored Anger
Swathed in anger,
Subsumed by rage,
Slowly, magnificently the unmasking of true grief,
Which turned anger into a deed
Conscious, intentional.
An attempt to heal an injury that could never heal.
An unjust attack that could never be made right.
An unjust attack that could never be made right.
An attempt to heal an injury that could never heal.
Conscious, intentional
Which turned anger into a deed,
Slowly, magnificently the unmasking of true grief,
Subsumed by rage,
Swathed in anger.
Seth, happy birthday I will love you with all of my heart forever.
