Forty Years Have Slipped By

Forty years have slipped By Out of thought, far from my minds eye. No more images of – no tears do I cry. You have been gone these forty years. No more does my memories hoard shed tears for what the Grand took form me, rivers flooding, towards the sea. For thirty years, you haunted my soul. Bad luck was all I came to know. On the anniversary, thirtieth year, I did show you, it was time to move on, time to let go of this plane, this time - 3rd month, 13th day, 1973 – forgive yourself, forgive me and let it all be. That moment in time, history it seems, no longer is it my story. I completely forgot about you. I guess that is what time will do, leave bitter sweet moments of time, the memories of, what was yours and mine. There has come this time, come the stage were upon we play out our parts in rage then for the rest of life, stand in the wings and watch others, who know other things that to our waning life, bring sweet notes only angles may sing. Fate ?, fear ?, my friend - I can not say, all I know, is that I lived to see another day and for many, many years I did pray that your soul, your spirit would slip away, no longer be the apparition people did see, no longer be the force that haunted me. B. J. “A” 2 March 25th 2013

Post Comments

Poetrysoup is an environment of encouragement and growth so only provide specific positive comments that indicate what you appreciate about the poem.

Please Login to post a comment

Donna Jones

Date: 3/29/2013 8:16:00 PM

I'm know not the trouble at the root of this poem but..feel much pain...it is well written but saddens me. I hope you now find peace and comfort from these years of what appears to be guilt...God bless...Donna

Donna Jones
Date: 4/2/2013 2:25:00 PM

Did you get my soup mail?

Donna Jones
Date: 4/2/2013 11:33:00 AM

Sending a soup mail......:-)

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:55:00 AM

(1) Once again Donna, thank you for your interest in my stuff, the compliment, as well as your heart felt concern. To answer your question and feelings about “ Forty years have slipped By ”, to enlighten. On the date listed in the rhyme I lost my best friend Rae, to the raging flood waters of the Grand River, in southern Ontario Canada.

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:54:00 AM

(2) The news paper articles state that a police officer, at approximately the moment I was taken into this black hole, saw, what he thought was Rae, go under. A couple of days later I met a psychic lady at my psychic friends, who told me she saw him caught on an island in the river and so we went down river from the first island I recalled. After six miles down river she said he was not this far. I took her back to Joyce’s place – parted company.

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:54:00 AM

Unbeknownst to me, until I was able to finally extract myself from the Nith River, Rae was still hanging onto the canoe, I knew that I would never see him again. While I was standing - in my birthday suite – in a ladies basement, while she went upstairs to get me a blanket, I was taken into a black hole, when she came back down I was still standing there, came out of it and back to normal.

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:53:00 AM

(3) The following week I was back at Joyce’s and this lady was there again ( never knew her before and never seen her again ) and told me that when we parted company her car lead her to a bluff over looking the river ( the same spot the police officer observed Rae, go under ) and said to me that he was very angry that I left him, although he was supposed to leave the canoe with me, and that he was caught on a submerged tree on this island.

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:52:00 AM

The following week the Grand river dropped it’s thirteen feet of flood waters and we set up a search party. I and another friend of mine took a raft and searched each island until ( after five miles ) we where called in – they found his body back in Paris, below the spot the officer and the psychic where and it so happened to be the spot Rae, and I would launch our craft in the summer. Not an island, but a jetty of land, about fifteen feet by fifteen feet at the bottom of this hundred foot drop to the river, I do have to admit that there was a six inch wide by three inch deep stream that cut across this jetty of land at the bottom of the embankment - Island ?

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:51:00 AM

(4) I do not know Donna, but I do not believe guilt is a part of the equation, just the haunting, for he was seen ( as an apparition in the river ) in nineteen ninety two ( some nineteen years after the fact ) by two ladies who were customers of a friend’s mother, who’s business and home are across the road from the Grand river and these ladies described to her, the apparition they saw, to a tee and there is noting in the news paper articles that do so and even if it where ?, who would remember those details after nineteen years ?, except me of coarse, or even remember the story ?, never mine tell their hair dresser .

William J. Jr. Atfield
Date: 3/31/2013 11:50:00 AM

(5) Thank you Donna, “ I hope you now find peace and comfort ” and I have to admit that after things came back to normal ( for months after, I could never find things – keys, wallet, change etc., etc. in my pockets, I am right handed Rae, was left handed ), when every thing was back in my right side instead of lost in my left side . Bill .