The Riven World

10 years ago today, my old pal Gary Lloyd died. Much has happened since then, but the memory of his passing stays fresh in my mind.

Gary’s death was unexpected. Although Teresa and I had only moved to Edinburgh a few weeks before we heard the news, I had spoken with Gary fairly often right up until he became seriously ill. We were already planning on him visiting the following spring, so I had started to consider places we could go to when he arrived – – Edinburgh Castle, the Royal Mile, the great pubs.

Thinking about all of this gave me a lot of pleasure, and it quickly became a habit. Even after Gary died, my routine of walking about town and flagging spots we might take in together continued. I had to remind myself that he was gone and that it was pointless to keep planning for something that would never happen. But as my thoughts persisted, I soon realized that an idea for a song was taking shape. The lyrics described an imagined reunion with Gary in which we would ramble around the ancient city and have a chance to say the kind of goodbye that life had not permitted. I later recorded “The Riven World” with the wonderful help of John McCusker, Heidi Talbot, Adam Holmes, and Cameron Malcolm.

I recently read the words to “The Riven World” and two other pieces at the Timucua Arts Foundation. Acclaimed Florida poet Susan Lilley was the night’s featured artist, and many local writers from diverse backgrounds also shared their work. I was struck by the candor, humanity, and courage of these individuals. Poetry is so personal, and the decision to offer up one’s rhyme to an audience can make anyone feel vulnerable. When I learned that the Timucua Arts Foundation had videotaped the entire evening’s proceedings, I asked them to send me a recording. I wanted to share the three works that I read that night, most notably, “The Riven World.” It seemed fitting to honor Gary’s memory ten years after he left us. I hope that my Facebook friends will watch and listen to it, especially those who were touched by Gary’s life. I send it out with love to Pam, Carole, Tommy, and Lucy.

For those who might be interested, I also plan to post videos of my other two readings at Timucua – “The Girl from Tokavaig” and “Let There Be Darkness” – over the next few weeks.