Editor’s note: Eric wrote this poem in November, 1971. The picture of Vishnu was in his computer files. I kept his original punctuation.
Adieu, Adieu
I’m a success story
What are you?
I’ve accomplished everything
I’ve nothing to do.
You’ve got time to live
and time to learn
You must experience
getting burned.
Life is simple
Just like me
Life is indescribably
like me.
You see
I’ve been in hell
experienced heaven
Like Vishnu
I’ve got eleven
appearances and maybe more
My brain aches
from overuse
my muscles are hanging loose
It’s time for my body to die
So my soul can finally fly.
Earth is a tester
and a blesser
a debaser
an eraser
A master to be controlled,
but not sold
or your soul
Will unfold mold I’m told.
I’m old.
I’m wise, I’m learned
because I’ve been burned
My soul flies, I’m wise I’m wise.
I’ve got no ties, it’s time to die.
Adieu, I must begin anew.
My thoughts go out to you Nancy. I hope you are doing ok.
Very nice poem, he was a great person.
Thinking of you and the rest of the family as we remember Eric again today. I was so struck by how many people were impacted by his death, and first by his life. How lucky we all were to have spent time with him! How blessed we were to hear his laugh and his voice! I often ask my little baby as she is staring at the ceiling with wonder if she is looking at Great Uncle Eric? What face is he making to make her smile? Wish I could see him too!
Despite I did not meet him in person, thanks Eric.
Thanks for sharing this Nancy. My thoughts are with you and the rest of our family and Eric’s extended circle of friends today.
This poem really blows my mind. I also love the beautiful picture you selected to accompany it.
Nancy, A beautiful tribute to Eric.
Nancy, tyank you so much for sharing that. The world is a worse place without Eric.
@Tony, or is better for having had him. Reading the Lord of the Rings lately (comfort food for the mind) I guess this sums up my feelings today: “In sorrow we must go but not in despair. Behold! we are not bound for ever to the circles of the world, and beyond them is more than memory. Farewell!” – Aragorn saying goodbye to Arwen.
So heartfelt, Nancy. Thinking of you, Eric and our loved ones.
Eric’s poem brought to mind a quote from Socrates, “The unexamined life is not worth living”. Eric surely examined, experienced, tested, participated in, mastered, enjoyed so many things. Life can be a great adventure, and Eric was one of the greatest adventurers, always pushing the limits, and, yes, being burnt…but then being renewed and refreshed, and continuing on to new adventures. He is a true inspiration to anyone who would live life to the fullest! Thank you for sharing!
Nancy,
Nice Poem. But nothing about FOOD.
I miss him and think of you both often. Jeff
Which just goes to show what an altered state he was in when he wrote it.
Miss you, and all my southern dojo brothers, too.
I remember Eric and his Way on many a day throughout the year. Though the first anniversary must surely be a difficult one for Eric’s family and Nancy, it is a pain those of us who didn’t know Eric on a daily basis, can’t feel; but we can feel and know that zest for life and adventure and living large and loving so well that Eric exemplified. As the numbness of the loss of my own lover and best friend and paddling partner for life fades and the reality of trying to find a new normal settles in, paddling and adventure will remain a tenant of that maximal life faith. There will always be a subtle sense of sadness in this life, a nostalgia for things past, a crying into pools of dark despair, but the fog does lift one day, the rock pillars sparkle as waves crash and cascade in the glistening sun, surf dissipating in a hiss of energy and life spent in motion, and we move forward finding strength in ourselves and from those who we loved and showed us the Way. The way of the life and liberty on the water. We all miss you Eric.
I think I first encountered Eric during the period of the mid-1980s when ANorAK was in the midst of the cold-water discussions that finally were published together as the ANorAK Wetsuit Papers. As I recall, Eric was one of the West Coast recipients of the newsletter, and we exchanged letters on subjects of mutual interest–certainly the whole wetsuit/drysuit issue–but we discovered that we were both JRR Tolkien fans, and became engrossed in a spirited discussion as to the nature of Tom Bombadil. If memory serves, Eric thought Bombadil was perhaps a Maia not unlike Melian of Doriath (mind you, this was before all of the subsequent literature, maps, encyclopedias, etc. sprang forth on the subject of Middle Earth). I don’t exactly recall my position, though I think it stressed the uniqueness of Bombadil. But it was a fine thing to discover our shared interest beyond sea kayaking, and the exchanges gave me a real sense of Eric’s energy and verve. And, as both Moulton Avery and I have stressed over and over, having Eric’s unqualified and singular endorsement of Moulton’s Cold Shock thesis in Sea Kayaker back when it was needed most was both gratifying and, in retrospect, completely in character with his candor, independence of mind, and his very great experience very close to the water.
Hey, Carl, after you commented on the Sea Poetry post I started wondering who the heck you were. Obviously you knew Eric…then I ran into your name under some other posts and now it’s like you read my mind – the answer to my question appears in my inbox. ANorAK!!! Aha!
Eric did love Tom Bombadil – one of his nicknames for me was Goldberry. I was flattered since the Old Forest episode is one of my favorites in the whole story. Eric and I talked a lot about it too, especially in regard as to why they chose to leave that sequence out in the movie version. Actually, maybe reproducing that choice little bit of fantasy was beyond even the very talented people who worked on the films. And it contributes to the mystery of Bombadil…
Thank you Nancy for posting this, reminding us of what is important in life, sharing Eric’s poem, giving me a moment to reflect on the words and on a life so well lived ! Xx Paula