I spent Saturday afternoon and evening at a celebration of life for Jim Magnuson, writer and former director of the Michener Center for Writers, which brought me to Austin in 1999. It was the kind of event we might all wish for after we are gone, one rich in love and praise and admiration for a man and how he lived his life.
Among the speakers was poet Marie Howe, who traveled in to pay honor to Jim and his family. I love Marie’s poetry, and it’s been years since I included it in the poetry box. So sitting there watching her call Jim the kind of alpha male we need these days, one who led with kindness and wisdom and heart, I decided I would post one of her poems this week. This one seems appropriate, for its reminders about rushing through life. For what?
There’s nothing like a memorial service and reunions with old friends and a good poem to remind us that time moves fast all on its own. Sometimes we just need to slow down. Sometimes we need to pause long enough to remember that what’s ahead will get here soon enough and maybe, just maybe, as Jim loved to say, “It’s gonna be great.”
“Where do I want her to hurry to? To her grave?
To mine? Where one day she might stand all grown?”
If you need another poem, in between Raymond Carver and Marie Howe I posted, “In the Morning, Before Anything Bad Happens” by Molly Brodak. It’s a good one for this moment.