Exeunt Omnes: An Actor's Elegy
For a friend who died recently: an actor.
Friend, the stage without you seems so bare
And dark. You gave the footlights extra flash,
Miracles of wordplay, shaped from air,
Exciting us by acting bold and brash,
Sometimes a fire, as Shakespeare said, and then,
Dancing out of Africa, the beat
Undulating drums repeated, ten
And then a thousand times with sweet,
Nimble, vibrant sounds. One life to live
Evoked a guiding light in you, the mirth
Puck had voiced and you rejoiced to give.
My friend, your laughter filled the turning earth!
Lend us mortals love that never ends.
Keep us hand in hand, "if we be friends".
Royal Rhodes
If you have any thoughts about this
poem, Royal
Rhodes would like to hear them
