Skip to main content

Feathers...

In late January of this year, Suzanne was not feeling up to posting on her blog. She sent me an email with this poem, asking me to post it as a message to Amias:

Sleeping Under Her Wing
At night when all is quiet
I notice my toes are warm
despite the snow on the ground
beneath me.
I curl into a ball
at the foot of my bed
hiding the hurt
and the tears
from little patters
of feet.
I wail so hard
silently my head
wants to explode.
She with her wing
wipes my tears.
She with her words
sings to me
and twiddles my hair.
I rub a single feather
I plucked from her wing
and stroke my cheek with it.
It soothes me.
I am warm.
I am safe.
I pull it together.
I send her
that same feather.
Although she has tons.
~Liquid

The following was Amias' response in my comment section:

Liquid, Cliff .... You two are so very special ... and as the tears flows from these tired old eyes --- I am remembering the story of the good Samaritan. Bless my soul, can you imagine how I feel with two!

We all hurt from time to time, no matter the reason behind the pain, it's just as painful. It good to know that someone cares.

God bless you both ... and may peace forever be your companion.

Much love, respect, and honor ...
Amias

From that point forward, Suzanne and I would end many of our communications with each other with, Blue Feather, Red Feather or Green Feather. That was code for"I pray the protection of God and His angels on you."

In a few hours, Suzanne's memorial service will take place in Meridian, Mississippi. I pray that Suzanne's parents, Jerry and Betty, Her brother Greg, and her children, Campbell and Isabella, be able to reach out and take a feather. May this feather dry tears, provide comfort, and ease the pain.

There are plenty of feathers to go around. May all those who feel a loss at this time receive a feather. Receive this feather as Suzanne's prayer for blessing and protection.

I also want to say at this point that I've noticed a lot of hits from Meridian on my site meter. If any of Suzanne's family are reading these words and would like to leave a comment please do. Please leave it a nice comment, dedicated to Suzanne's memory.

Comments

Jessica said…
Blessing to her family and friends on this very hard day. And to you too Cliff. You have been so kind with all your posts in Suzanne's memory the last few days.
December 30, 2008 8:11 AM
Pat Jenkins said…
Cliff, I am so very sorry for the loss of your friend. There really are no words to take away the feelings that you are experiencing but please know that there are alot of people out here who think you are a very special person and are praying for you to find peace with this as well. I know Pat really appreciates the friendship you two have acquired. Again, I am so sorry both for you and her family. Mrs. PatJ
December 30, 2008 8:46 AM
Cliff said…
Mrs PatJ, I thank you for the comments. I plan on doing two more posts on Suzanne, then I will go back to what I had planned. I know that everybody will be eager to see who will receive what 2008 Top Banana Awards.

There are things that now make sense to me, which is something I plan on writing about sometime tomorrow.
December 30, 2008 8:58 AM
Frasypoo said…
Hi Cliff
I just read all your posts on Suzanne.It is a wonderful tribute to a lovely person
Her death has been a weight on me and I just knew her thro the blogs and truly understand how you must feel.
She was a sweet person and made an impact on everyone who she came in contact with.
I know she is not in any more emotional pain now
December 30, 2008 9:32 AM
clean and crazy said…
Peace be with you and yours, and her family as well. may thoughts of love comfort you as you grieve the loss of a wonderful person, this world is a little less happy right now...
December 30, 2008 10:37 AM
Michelle said…
I hope peace will come to the family and I hope she has the peace she had sought for. I am really beginning to understand her more through your memories. I love the poem. I now understad what feathers meant. God Speed Suzanne!
December 30, 2008 11:00 AM
Shannon said…
my heart hurts for you all, and her family. Gabriella moonlight talked about you and Suzanne on her blog and I came over to send my support. I am so sorry. I know how much our blogger friends mean to us...
December 30, 2008 11:57 AM
cathouse teri said…
Happy I am for the feathers in the world.
December 30, 2008 1:01 PM
Saz said…
I'm over here from PoeticLicense, who has posted about Suzanne today.

I hadn't met her or read her blog until today and that she has gone is such a terrible loss.

I just wanted to say how sorry I am.

Saz
December 30, 2008 3:25 PM
Diane Vogel Ferri said…
Suzanne's blog was one of my favorites and I had no idea this happened until I clicked on Sandy's. I didn't even know her name,but she had a link to me as well. Coincidentally i found you on the link and I am from Cleveland (Solon). We are the same age and I certainly remember listening to WIXY on my transister radio. I wrote about Cleveland Christmas memories a week or so ago. I'm very sorry for the loss of Suzanne. Of course, even though I didn't know her - these blogs make us friends somehow.
December 30, 2008 6:19 PM
Cliff said…
Funny how those things have a way of working. I started my blog as a result of posting on local message boards and for the first nine months, my readership was my forum buddies and friends who come as a result of word of mouth. My handle of 74WIXYgrad comes from the fact that I attended the WIXY School of Broadcast Technique in 1974. Then as a result of clicking the "next blog" button led me to these blogs from Mississippi and a friendship I will never forget.

Visit often, Diane. I sometimes have items of local interest.
December 30, 2008 6:43 PM
Shelley said…
Just very sad for the loss of someone's friend, someone's mother, someone's daughter -- you have done such a nice tribute Wixy.
December 30, 2008 9:03 PM
Unknown said…
A fellow blogger and friend of Suzanne's (he calls her Suzi) and I have been on Skype talking about this loss. I just wanted you to know that I am so very sorry - it's hard to understand how this could happen so suddenly. Please know that you and Suzanne's family and friends are in my prayers and I pray for peace - and that we love lots and we love often.

-Mary
BabyBlueOnline.org
December 30, 2008 11:56 PM
Awake In Rochester said…
That was beautiful and so is the love that you all shared, share!
January 18, 2009 1:54 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Post 800: Time to chat

Hi Guys, It's hard to believe that this is post number 800 for this blog. I started this blog out of my desire to communicate. Since radio and television is becoming more and more automated and less and less personal, I'm glad I made the decision to go in this direction as it has given me many blessings. When I first decided to write my musings, a friend from the radio and television boards who goes by the name of newsnomore, told me not to be discouraged if I didn't get any readers. The fact that I did in the early going made me surprised and grateful that anyone was enjoying what I wrote. I've had people tell me that maybe it wasn't meant for me to ever be in radio, that maybe my calling was blogging. Nowadays I think blogging makes for better two way conversation than terrestrial radio, especially the way I do it, non confrontational. The closest I come from any confrontation is the innocent digs that Pat and I shoot at each other. On an average day I get betwee
12 comments
Read more

Lawson's Chip Dip

On a couple of occasions I have written posts dedicated to Lawson's, a convenience store chain that was located in Ohio for close to 50 years. In the late 1980's the chain was bought out by Dairy Mart, of Engfield Ct. Dairy Mart was then purchased by Alimentation Couche-Tard, and most stored were rebranded Circle K. Something that has survived the years since Lawson's has left the landscape is Lawson's Chip Dip. I get many hits on this blog from people out of Ohio, I'm thinking former Buckeyes, looking for availability of this chip dip. I had gotten an email from a former resident of Cleveland looking for it. I emailed Circle K about this sometime ago asking if it was possible to send the dip out to those out of state, they said because of quality issues that it was not possible. My only suggestion would be to get in touch with Circle K in your home area and ask them to start stocking this very popular item that seems to make every get-together complete. Now we wil
28 comments
Read more

Sometimes Sports are Just Sports

 This may or may not make the final cut of my book. I was writing about some events this weekend and what had started as a joyous Friday night at my home school district became a weekend of heartbreak in the area after what happened at another school. Sometimes We Need to Realize That Sports are Just Games   Friday nights in late summer and early fall are sometimes a big deal for high school students and their families. As the long-time band announcer for my local high school, it is a time of year I always look forward to. This past Friday night was originally supposed to be the homecoming game for the local high school. The schedule had to be changed a bit because of the uncertainty of the opponents being able to field a team. There was talk around the league that they may have had to forfeit this game, so homecoming for the local school was rescheduled. The opponents, which are rivals of my local school district, were able to field a team and the game was played. The game was
Post a Comment
Read more