Friday, March 22, 2013

Farewell Abby



It’s amazing to me
that in the midst of
suffering
                courage
                                despair
life goes on…

Pockets of desperation,
tragedies worthy of Shakespeare,
are surrounded by the commonplace:
As she struggles for her last, gurgling breath,
he digs in his pockets for bus fare.

But if it were not so
surely, we would be shattered.


This is for the incomparable G-man and his FF55.  
Tuesday my sweet horse Abby died.  She was a grand old lady of 31, and it was a short struggle, only one day.  Still, even for that short time, the world would not stop for her.  But I did.  So, cheers Abby - I hope the grass is greener for you on the other side.  (Added after the first few comments)

22 comments:

  1. Mary Bach...?
    Was Abby YOUR horse?
    If so I'm so sorry.
    You certainly would have been excused
    For this sadness. ((( Mary )))
    Loved your fond farewell 55
    You did her proud
    Thanks for playing, your a Sweet Lady!
    Try and have a Kick Ass Week End
    G xxx

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  2. Oh, Mary! So sorry for your loss. This made me weep. This brought back memories of when I lost my Gypsy (my horse)...and no matter how much life does go on, for a heart-breaking time, it seems to stand completely still.

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  3. i take it abby was your horse...or the horse of the man that is diggin in the comment for bus fare? all life is precious. we make connections though with pets, horses that go way beyond. i am sorry for your loss..

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  4. Mary, it looks like Abby was a lovely, lovely girl. A sad story and, like so many sad stories, a prosaic ending. I would have been shattered, I'm sure.
    K

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  5. We were very much on the same wavelength this week.

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  6. So sad. So sorry for your loss, Mary. Heartbreaking, my thoughts and prayers are with you.

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  8. Sorry to hear your friend has passed, hope a grand time is had over the rainbow bridge for her in the green grass.

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  9. The images in this are so timeless--it doesn't matter whose death we face, each loved one gone diminishes us, even as the bus continues to roll us forward toward our own ending. Still, there is something cleansing in mourning like this that helps the heart heal. Thanks for writing about something so painful, and so universal it often is only a cliche instead of a truth we need to understand.

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  10. This reminds me so much of Auden..."About suffering, they were never wrong....how it takes place while someone else is eating, or opening a window, or just walking dully along..."

    That's pretty darn good company. So sorry about Abby.

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  11. This is really brilliant, moving writing. I'm so sorry about Abby.

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  12. Thanks so much everyone. I appreciate you kind words about my writing, and especially about Abby. I hope to be on to happier topics soon.

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  13. This one looks straight into your heart. I am sorry about Abby, but I don't think this is an unhappy topic so much as one that needed to be acknowledged~& you did that so well. ~Mary

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  14. I'm so sorry about Abby. It seems as if the world *should* stop, at such times, but it never does. I think it was Skeeter Davis who sang about "Don't they know it's the end of the world?" Though the song was changed to a love song in order to be more commercial, she actually wrote it about the death of her father. Again, I'm so sorry about your beautiful horse.

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  15. How few of us even have human relationships that last 31 years. I have an aging standard poodle approaching her 15th year. No marriage of mine has ever lasted that long. So many of my memories include her as so many of yours, no doubt, include Abby.

    Thanks for sharing your loss so poetically. And do not feel obligated as you posted to be on to happier topics too early.

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  16. lives, even small lives, that we get to know stay in our hearts.

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  17. Just seeing this now, Mary. So sorry for the loss of your dear horse. I think all who we love and lose are waiting for us on the other side, pets and people both. *Hugs* my friend.

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much Ginny *hug*
      and you too Goatman and Jacqui and Shay.

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  18. She had a good run. The best, I think, that can be said about any of us.

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  19. Thanks Timoteo...just one day of suffering after that good run, not a bad way to go if you have to.

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  20. I appreciate everyone's comments on this one. It's difficult for me to respond to each one though...even now I'm still quite emotional about it. Your kind words mean so much to me. Thank you.

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  21. Although I was never fortunate enough to have a horse of my very own, I was around them quite a bit in my youth ... and was instantly seduced by their nobility, let alone their beauty. I've lost far too many "pets" before (they owned me, I didn't own them) and can only offer my condolences for such a tragic loss. Yes, she lived a good, long life and I believe we'll be reunited with our loved ones on the other side. May she ever roam in the greenest pastures near a clear running stream and may your sorrow recede and let the good memories come rushing back in with the tide ... a lesson I learned through such experiences is that we can never truly lose what we have already gained ... still, I understand the desire to have them with us always. Gentle hugs for you, dear Lady. Abby chose a fine companion, that much is obvious. <3

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