A week or two after my niece Alma Maleckar Bear died last November, New Orleans writer and poet Chris Sullivan sent me this beautiful poem he had written about his muse. I asked him if I could re-post it here, and he said yes. The title of the poem is “She was like, like itself” – which I love.

There are phrases, though, that really spoke to me of Alma, which I put together above: we were all privileged to have her in our lives, yes; little did we realize how lucky and numbered the days were. Also, I can easily hear her saying “thanks darlin’ come back again.”

So here it is for you. Thank you Chris!

She was like, like itself

 

 

 

 

 

 

You saw those eyes

and wanted to have them around

it is for all seasons,

our liking to sustain a crush,

isn’t it / don’t we?

so he became quite attracted to

daily transactions with his server at the café

she had had an Uncle like me.

now were avuncular a profession

I’m known as a Distinguished Practitioner

of the art, for she was an exhibit

Continue reading →