Sunday, August 18, 2013

Sacred

This is my daughter Ava Elyse turning the pages of her cousin Kyle Knapp’s posthumous collection of poetry, Celebrations in the Ossuary. She got first look at the proof copy that arrived this week.

Kyle would play his guitar, and Ava would dance to the music he played. Her fascination with guitars started when she was just months old, watching for a still shot of an acoustic guitar pop up on the screen of the cable TV Jazz channel. We bought a mini acoustic guitar for her, and since neither her mom nor I can carry a tune let alone play a musical instrument, she was transfixed when Kyle played. We left Ava’s guitar there with him the last time that we saw him.

One time, my sister went to move the guitar out of the living room, but Kyle brought it back and placed it next to his. He told his mom it was “sacred” and the instrument needed to stay put—next to where he wrote, played music, and worked on his poetry.

There was a message on his twitter account from December 13, 2012, that read “learned to play all of Franz Ferdinand’s ‘Walk Away’ on baby Ava’s guitar this morning. lol couldn’t sleep.”

Thank you, Kyle, for loving my daughter, writing a poem for her we consider sacred. I should have Ossuary out, as promised, by your birthday.

11 comments:

Charles Gramlich said...

Wonderful.

Dave King said...

Delightful in every way!

G. B. Miller said...

Beautiful.

Ron Scheer said...

Despite Dylan Thomas, there are arguments for going gentle into that good night. Yours is eloquent. Thanks.

David Cranmer said...

Thank you, amigos. I know I can always count on you to stop by. Appreciated more than you will probably ever know.

pattinase (abbott) said...

And how sad it is that she will not remember him. I think of that sort of thing all the time. Yet there is this bond that will last, I think.

David Cranmer said...

Patti, When I try and remember any family history before seven years of age its a blank. But, yes, a bond has been developed, thanks to Kyle, that will remain. His poem For Ava is a beautiful heartfelt gem that will be in his third collection.

Oscar Case said...

Terrific post, calming to the soul.

David Cranmer said...

Nice to hear, Oscar. Gracias, sir.

Mates said...

David, the part about him playing her quitar, you and Amanda continue to surprise me with little tidbits of his thoughts.
I remember that day so well, you would have tought I tried to remove a priceless piece of artwork form his living room...I guess to him I did. Ava will not have her own memories but she will know Kyle, Granpa C & Granma through us. We will make sure of it.

David Cranmer said...

You betcha, Mates. There are some bonds that death has no triumph over and Kyle's love for his family and friends is one.