Today my friend Crolyn sent me a pointer to today’s entry in Steven Levitt’s blog. Steven co-wrote the book ‘Freakanomics’ which is one of my all time favorite non-fiction books. Today would have been Steven’s son Andrew’s 10th birthday. . Andrew died ajustr after his first birthday of meningitis.. His post today was really touching.. he wote..
October 14, 2008, 10:59 am
My Son Andrew Would Have Turned 10 Today
By Steven D. Levitt
.. –> end post-info –>
My son Andrew would have turned 10 today.
I usually try to say a little something about him on the blog around this time of year.
This year, I commemorate Andrew through the words of a new friend, John Latham. In his day job, Latham is a leading climate scientist. He also moonlights as a poet.
I generally don’t have much appreciation for poetry. I have to
admit, when Latham pulled a book of verse he had written out of his
briefcase and handed it to me, I would have told him to keep it if that
hadn’t seemed incredibly rude.
But it turns out that, like me, John Latham had a son who died. The poems in the book, entitled Sailor Boy, are dedicated to his son.
These wonderful poems transported me back to the time of Andrew’s
death in a way I never could have imagined. I would never want to stay
in that state permanently, but nonetheless it is a gift to be able to
go back and visit once in a while. As time passes, it gets harder and
harder to reach that place.
Perhaps my favorite poem in the collection (although it is an odd one) is the one I’ve reproduced here:
Feast
She cuts in before I can explain.
Yes, I recollect your booking:
Three-tier cake. July.
Marinated prawns and quiche.
I say we have to bring it forward.
It wasn’t my reception, but my son’s.
Not his wedding, now.
His funeral.
At last she breaks the silence.
How about some nice pork pies?
Folk eat more when they’re sad.
I hear you laughing.
Andrew, we still miss you every day.
Addendum: Thanks so much to all the kind folks who posted comments below; they were profoundly moving.
I posted a comment there:
I was goign to repost that poem.. but I guess I just did….
Happy birthday Andrew,,,
Goodnight firneds
goodnight Sam
-me
2008
2:10 pm
Steven,
My friend Carolyn just sent me a pointer to your blog. Thanks so much
for this post. Our beautiful 14 year old son Sam died in Nov. 2006.
(see http:….Samstones.org ) Your comment ‘it is a gift to be able to go
back and visit once in a while.’ rings so true to me.
As I read about Andrew I had this flash of reading Freakanomics and
coming to the part about his passing I remember putting the book down
and crying. I couldn’t imagine then what it would be like to lose a son
like you had. That was before Sam died. Now I still can’t imagine it..
if you know what I mean.
Thanks for the pointer to John Latham’s book. Think he’d mind if I
include this same poem in the blog I keep for Sam
(http:….blog.myspace.com/johncohn) tonight?
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about your son… Happy birthday Andrew
-jc
— Posted by john cohn