Gershon Wolf Poet Ode

My Sister Elizabeth

Born a year after her crowning, named after the Queen
   My sister had no luck, her life short and mean
Academically and behaviorally in trouble at school
   A royal rebel was 'Liz;' she broke all the rules

Couldn't hold a job for more than a year
   Her 'friends' all smoked dope and drank beer
Yet a good heart had she; give you the shirt off her back
   Acted surprised, not upset, if it didn't come back  

Contracted HIV from a tainted blood transfusion
   Lived seven more years in pain and disillusion
A tragic story, cut down at 36 by AIDS disease
   My sister Elizabeth, namesake of royalty  


 
 ~ This year marks 29 years since Elizabeth's passing ~

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Jean Bush February 11, 2020 at 3:12 PM I am so sorry, Gershon. Despite all her troubles she sounds like she was a lovely lady, & loved you very much. This is a sad but beautiful tribute. Gershon Wolf February 11, 2020 at 4:10 PM You right about everything you wrote. You must be telepathic. Thanks, Jean. Best wishes, Gershon

Alexis Y. February 10, 2020 at 10:50 PM Hi Gershon, I am so sorry for your loss. It’s sad to hear that contracted aids from a tainted blood transfusion. These days they test the blood more thoroughly. Good tribute to your sister my friend-Alexis Gershon Wolf February 11, 2020 at 4:05 PM Yes, Alexis, you are right. My sister was tested out in L.A., in 1984, about a week before Time Magazine ran a story on tainted L.A. blood banks!... Thank you for your support. Best wishes, Gershon

Quoth Theraven February 10, 2020 at 10:28 PM Gershon, Such a deeply personal write. I always loved the name Elizabeth. -Richard Gershon Wolf February 11, 2020 at 4:01 PM Thank you for your support, Richard. Appreciated. ~ Gershon

Michelle Faulkner February 10, 2020 at 12:31 PM I am so sorry for your loss, it is always tragic to pass on at a young age - I hope you have some happy memories of her. Gershon Wolf February 10, 2020 at 3:45 PM Thank you so much, Caren. I do have a number of happy memories of Liz. That last seven years of horror, however, tends to overshadow them... Thanks for the reminder. Best wishes, Gershon

Caren Krutsinger February 10, 2020 at 12:16 PM So sad when something this sad occurs in our own family. Gershon Wolf February 10, 2020 at 3:43 PM Yes, extremely sad... even sadder for my sister who was struck down with HIV at 29, when she had finally figured out what she wanted to do with her life---and all she wound up doing was suffering unimaginably. Thanks, Caren. :) Gershon

Kim Rodrigues February 9, 2020 at 5:00 PM A poignant write, dear Gershon... Gershon Wolf February 9, 2020 at 6:47 PM Thanks for the empathy, Kim. My sister had a tough go. Best always, Gershon

Ronald D Thompson February 9, 2020 at 4:45 PM Very sad my friend. A wonderful tribute to your sister. Best wishes..Ron Gershon Wolf February 9, 2020 at 6:46 PM Thanks for the support, Ron. Appreciated. :) Gershon

Carolyn Devonshire February 9, 2020 at 4:07 PM Gershon, it's sad to hear how your sister passed. I bet the passing decades don't make you miss her any less. Today there is hope for people with HIV. My condolences on your loss. Your poem touches the readers' hearts. Hugs for you, Carolyn Gershon Wolf February 9, 2020 at 4:52 PM Truth be told, the 7 months my sister had AIDS were so painful --- she was in hysterics most of the time; nothing helped --- that it was an honest-to-God relief when she passed. I've always been sorry that she got gypped out of having any kind of life, more than anything else... Thank you for your tender-hearted support, your sympathy and empathy, Carolyn. Warmest wishes, Gershon

Ilene Bauer February 9, 2020 at 2:54 PM so sad, gershon! you've written a beautiful tribute to her... Kim Rodrigues February 9, 2020 at 5:06 PM Dear Gershon, so hard to find the words. My dear friend just lost her twenty-something year old grandson to an overdose. How does one cope with the loss. Us poets try to phrase and rephrase the pain. For me it reminds me of those slide puzzles. <3 Kim Gershon Wolf February 9, 2020 at 4:42 PM Aw, thank you so much for the support, Ilene. Never have really found my voice on my poor sister's tragic, truncated life. Best wishes, Gershon