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In
Memory of F. Richard Kelley
June
6, 1932 - October 29, 2002
The
following two poems were written for my late father F. Richard
"Dick" Kelley.
The
first poem was written on the day of his death, and won the
Editor's Choice Award from Poetry.com.
Even
in death, he still teaches me a lot about life. --Doug Kelley
Adversity’s
Surrender: Requiem for a Man
After
the Rain, Calm quickly descends,
The
gale of Unrest no longer wins.
Out
of the Shadows, sweet Truth is discerned,
Lessons
ignored become life-lessons learned.
The
Tempest has indicted; the Man declines defeat:
“Your
wrath equals not the renaissance of my peace.”
For
you Dad; I will see you on the other side.
Doug
Kelley
October
29, 2002
Explanation
After
the Rain, Calm quickly descends,
Dad
always spoke of “the rain” (adversity) when trying to
encourage others who were going through hard times. He also
said “too much sunshine makes a desert;” therefore, we
need some “rain” in our lives to refine us. But the
“Calm” after the storm has now descended for him.
The
gale of Unrest no longer wins.
When
there is rain, there is usually a storm; it is a period of
windy unrest. It seems that Dad’s life was not in want of
the “gales of Unrest,” i.e., adversity. But now, that
adversity no longer prevails.
Out
of the Shadows, sweet Truth is discerned,
Dad
wrote in his notes, “We ought not live in the shadow of our
worst moments.” Whether this is his thought or whether he
read it somewhere, it is profound. Most—if not all of
us—live in the shadow of our worst moments, and therefore,
our self-esteem takes a beating. I perceive that Dad
recognized this “sweet Truth” in himself, and—although
difficult—he tried to rise above it.
Lessons
ignored become life-lessons learned.
As
with all human beings, Dad learned many lessons—some of them
repeatedly. And to be sure, there is no shame in making
mistakes as long as one learns from them. For in reality there
are no mistakes, just learning opportunities.
The
Tempest has indicted; the Man declines defeat:
It
seems that there is no end to Adversity’s heavy hand in
life. Adversity is like a “Tempest,” in essence accusing
us of being frail; of being easily blown away. In a very real
sense, Adversity “indicts” humanity with ultimate failing.
Whether we actually win or face defeat is entirely up to us
individually. Even though disease took Dad, he did not give
in; his spirit was not broken. Therefore he could say,
“Your
wrath equals not the renaissance of my peace.”
The
“wrath” of the storm is simply no match for the newfound
peace that Dad now has, albeit in death. It is a
“renaissance,” or a period of rebirth and revitalization
for him. Dad had a hope, and regardless of what the future may
bring, I trust he will be able to put his lessons and
life-experiences to good use on the other side.
This
second poem was written after I visited Dad's grave in April,
2003.
The
Divine Tragedy
All
the hopes, all the dreams;
All
the joys, all the adversities;
All
the triumphs, all the defeats;
Occupy
but one small sliver of ground.
I
miss you dad.
Doug
Kelley, 4-14-03
Dad
was cremated and his ashes are buried in Grove City Cemetery, Blackfoot, Idaho,
in
the same plot as his
Father, Mother, and Brother.
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