Bill Holm

With the news of Bill Holm's death came this, sent by his friend and fellow writer, Jim Heynen.

LETTING GO OF WHAT CANNOT BE HELD BACK

Let go of the dead now.
The rope in the water,
the cleat on the cliff,
do them no good anymore.
Let them fall, sink, go away,
become invisible as they tried
so hard to do in their own dying.
We needed to bother them
with what we called help.
We were the needy ones.
The dying do their own work with
tidiness, just the right speed,
sometimes even a little
satisfaction. So quiet down.
Let them go. Practice
your own song. Now.

From Playing the Black Piano, Bill Holm