When I Go

When I go tell them that I have been here

Tell them that I saw a thousand sunsets

That I heard the whistle of the wind,

The rage of thunder and the throbbing of silence

Remember me always as your friend

And as a writer, so that you will forever remember

Not me, but life and all its beauty.

Remember, too, that I am a poet

Who has learned life’s biggest secret—

By gazing at the stars at night,

By hearing the children laugh,

By seeing men come and go away,

And by thanking God for life and everything

When I go, remember that I never did leave

So long as you remember the secrets that I gave

So long as you remember that I told you once about life

That rainy night when I whispered into your ears

The music which gave lightness to your heart.

Do you remember? Do you remember when I said:

“We can only understand life, if we understand,

That life cannot be understood.”?

Now do you remember? I know you do now

And I know that when I go and said my goodbye

You will not weep some tears, but rather cheer.

And you will tell them that I’ve been here,

And will always be—

Among those who gaze at the stars,

Watching the sun set, listening to the wind,

In between silence and all the sounds.

You will tell them that you are my friend

A writer and a poet who has told you life’s secret.

And on a rainy night, tell them…

Tell them that you will let them hear the music

And tell them that they too will remember you forever

Together with the footsteps of men who walked to eternity

And together with all of life’s beauty.

The World and Other Literary Works