# The Farthest Journey



## dannyboy (Aug 12, 2012)

It is in the sound of the apparatus, like gods,
they surround him, stare into his heart 
and murmur a decision about him,  that I feel 
my disconnect from the prospect of his death. 
I offer silent prayers to these unknown machines. 
Every labored breath he takes, I promise another act 
I will perform as penance, as payment, a stalling 
of the ferry’s price, not the fee of crossing 
but the lurch and then the wave farewell, 
as if my thoughts are a cat of nine tails, and I flay 
my future with this fear of being left fatherless.

On his finger resides a clip, as if he is dangling on a line,
or being dangled; a slim chance that he may yet return 
to my shore, open his eyes, cease his ramblings 
about a past before I was born and smile again at me, 
his last boy - this father of mine fights a battle in a white room 
and outside the world is grey but between is the deep green
of the river, will he emerge or sink? Gone forever,
like the large trout glimpsed and then slips free of the hook -
Oh father keep hold of this hook called life 
there is still so much I have yet to talk to you about.

I have not the words of farewell, sacred or profane;
they got lost somewhere in the journey away from home – I
cannot remember when he held me, or the feel of his lips,
only your chin, rough as sandpaper, and your watery eyes
that smiled at me whenever I found my way home.

I have wandered far, thought I had left him behind
and now I stand at his bedside and realize
he is about to take the farthest journey and I stand here
and try to remember every shattered aspect of us.


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## Cran (Aug 12, 2012)

A difficult subject, handled well, Danny. 

Minor twinges only:

_I will perform as penance, as payment, a stalling 
of the ferry’s price_

Everything around this suggests that it is not the price you want to stall, 
but the loading of its precious cargo; 
its departure from the near bank; 
its crossing of the black water ...

_a battle in a white room 
and outside the world is grey but between is the deep abyss_

From a lesser hand, OK; from you in this piece, it's too obvious, too easy - 
make it hurt, cut like sharpest obsidian, 
crush like the blackest ocean trench, 
freeze like the airless depths of space ...


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## dannyboy (Aug 12, 2012)

Ta Cran and I've had an edit.


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## Gumby (Aug 12, 2012)

Well done, danny. As always, Cran has wonderful observations.


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## dannyboy (Aug 13, 2012)

Ta and yes his feedback is always excellent.


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## Cran (Aug 13, 2012)

_and, as always, Danny manages to do something unexpected ..._

I like the changes, Danny. 
Even though you kept _price_, the clarification works well. 
And _the deep green of the river_ is a great way to come back to the ferryman.


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