Dale Edmands RIP

The email from Dale's friend, Sharon, arrived last night. He passed away early yesterday morning, after a night of her sitting with him, holding his hand, singing to him. In his honour, I'm posting what is probably the most well-known poem written about death and loss, thanks to its use in the movie, Three Weddings and a Funeral.




Funeral Blues

Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone,
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.

Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling on the sky the message He Is Dead.
Put crepe bows round the white necks of public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.

He was my North, my South, my East and West.
My working week and my Sunday rest,
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever; I was wrong.

The stars are not wanted now: put out every one;
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun;
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.


H. Auden

Art: Time Has No Limits by Chagall