i met an old uni friend of mine yesterday to say hello and goodbye. he’s going away again into the troubled lands of Africa, this time with M?dicins Sans Frontières. he’s a rather nice chap but everytime we meet, unhappy memories are rekindled… as with the reassertion of the feelings i can’t seem to requite in return which unwittingly strains this friendship…. and then i remember encountering this little poem by Erich Fried which is quite consoling… so i’ll share it with you..
Erinnern
das ist
vielliecht
die qualvollste Art
des Vergessens
und vielliecht
die freundlichste Art
der Linderung
dieser Qual
Remembering
this is
perhaps
the most excruciating way
of forgetting
and perhaps
the kindest way
of easing
this pain