Kathy Riordan

Kathy Riordan
Location
Florida, United States
Birthday
April 27
Bio
One woman's view of life and the universe. Follow @katriord on Twitter.

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MAY 5, 2011 9:38PM

If You Came Back

Rate: 51 Flag

If you came back

I'd show you the new refrigerator

the one I should have bought long ago

I'd fill it with all your favorite things

cottage cheese and ice cream

but no bananas

even the crazy smoked fish you liked

I'd fill it to overflowing

never minding the cost

or the care

I'd fill it

 

If you came back

I'd show you the new car

that I finally bought

after renting for so long

leaving the other one behind

I'd drive you forever

and take you to all your favorite places

and ask you if you were comfortable

let you tip the seat way back

and not care

you'd say, "This car looks good on you, Mrs. Riordan,"

the way you did about that gold Cadillac so long ago

and you'd be right

but it's missing something

 

If you came back

you could sleep until noon

or midnight if you wanted

stay in your pajamas

never shave

watch TV all night

and dream of Paris

 

I saw a woman alone on a scooter in the dark tonight

I gave her a wide berth 

 

ao_dai_on_scooter 

Author tags:

no helmet, flying solo, women on scooters in the dark, poetry, still more grief work

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Tears are streaming down my face. I tried to read it out loud to my husband, but couldn't finish it. I feel your pain~
r
Susie Lindau
May 05, 2011 09:43 PM
Kathy, It's so personal, so moving. Blessings. R
Blu Speck
May 05, 2011 09:48 PM
Beautiful and sad, empty spots. I'm sorrowful for you.
l'Heure Bleue
May 05, 2011 10:06 PM
I too am feeling the sting of tears. Your plea is almost childlike in it's unabashed affection, and I mean that in the best possible way. Grownups seldom talk about love so openly, so sweetly. Thank you so much for sharing this.
bluestocking babe
May 05, 2011 10:09 PM
The imagery in this poem is wonderful. Well done and heart-yanking.
Maureen J Andrade
May 05, 2011 10:12 PM
So heart felt, you capture the loneliness so many have known.....
SheilaTGTG55
May 05, 2011 10:18 PM
- take care, Kathy. And Jeanette is absolutely correct.
Catherine Forsythe
May 05, 2011 10:18 PM
Love to you, Kathy...xox
Robin Sneed
May 05, 2011 10:19 PM
Beautiful, accessbile, universal and yet personal. Lovely.
Rebecca Morean
May 05, 2011 10:23 PM
almost childlike in its simplicity, and very beautiful
dianaani
May 05, 2011 11:07 PM
I really love how you love this man so much....
Just Thinking...
May 05, 2011 11:35 PM
Sending prayers and hugs Kathy...
Antoinette Errante
May 05, 2011 11:41 PM
The title and prose here really do bring tears to ones eyes.
Algis Kemezys
May 05, 2011 11:42 PM
So real and sad and true. Thinking of you tonight.
Helvetica Stone
May 05, 2011 11:43 PM
ah. so heartfelt. so longing, dear Kathy, sending love.
rita shibr
May 05, 2011 11:51 PM
if or when, I would write the same.
rita shibr
May 05, 2011 11:52 PM
beautiful kathy. so moving and beautiful.
Foolish Monkey
May 06, 2011 12:04 AM
Love is related to the word loaf.
We share bread with the ones we love.
Surazeus
May 06, 2011 12:25 AM
Some love is eternal.

Beautiful.
Cranky Cuss
May 06, 2011 12:35 AM
Ouch! After reading this, I feel compelled to think about what I would say to my beloved husband "if he came back," and to do those things now. Thank you, Kathy, for a very well-timed kick in the butt.
montanarose
May 06, 2011 01:02 AM
Tomorrow I go to the funeral of a husband of a friend. They were married 40-plus years. I will be thinking of this poem tomorrow, & also holding my husband a little closer tonight.
suzie
May 06, 2011 02:39 AM
Thanks Kathy - really lovely and inspirational (thanks for the shopping list). I've got some work to do tomorrow...

Sending love, E
mynameise
May 06, 2011 04:01 AM
This is so moving. I love the love and recollections here, the joy balanced by sorrow. Healing thoughts to you.
Alysa Salzberg
May 06, 2011 04:06 AM
Dear Kathy, Your grief must be terrible, of course, but I see so many new depths in your writings and if he came back, wouldn't he love that? R. R. R.
wendyo
May 06, 2011 04:17 AM
The moments those thoughts hit, which are too many, are overwhelming. You capture them perfectly here--with painful eloquence.
AtHomePilgrim
May 06, 2011 06:02 AM
So wistful, stocking the refrigerator. Thanks for this.
Vivian Henoch
May 06, 2011 07:04 AM
This is VERY beautiful!
Aengus Carroll
May 06, 2011 07:47 AM
Ah. My fingers don;t work so well when i am so moved/
Linnnn
May 06, 2011 07:56 AM
I see the generosity of a loving wife in the all day in pajamas, all night tv and no shave.
Theresa Rice
May 06, 2011 07:58 AM
So intensely touching, so feeling-imbued, so well executed--and the last two lines, such quiet force.
Jerry DeNuccio
May 06, 2011 08:22 AM
...thinking of you with great affection, always...
Gary Justis
May 06, 2011 09:21 AM
Resonating and wistful. Lovely and sad.
dirndl skirt
May 06, 2011 09:37 AM
I'm here but being silent out of respect for you.
OEsheepdog
May 06, 2011 09:43 AM
As many have said, this is lovely. May each day be a tiny bit easier, Kathy.
Eve Collins
May 06, 2011 10:00 AM
Blessings on you who speaks so poignantly of this. Much love as well.
anna1liese
May 06, 2011 10:23 AM
This is a vivid expression of both loss and hope, and beautifully wrought, Kathy.
Lea Lane
May 06, 2011 11:27 AM
Oh how we bargain to gain our lost ones back, this was the most beautiful poem, Kathy. Sometimes we are driven in the lovely car, others, we are women alone on scooters in heavy traffic.
Love and peace and lots of hugs to you dear one.
Poppi Iceland
May 06, 2011 11:37 AM
Perfectly written, Kathy . . . perfectly written, and deeply felt by this reader . . .
Owl_Says_Who
May 06, 2011 12:04 PM
That's a lot of love. As you know, I believe that he is in the car with you. I only wish that gave you comfort. When I make fruit salad tonight i will leave out the bananas, a tip of the hat to the love of your life.
Ann Nichols
May 06, 2011 12:21 PM
Seeing what you see--how well you have done this, love and sadness.
sophieh
May 06, 2011 12:41 PM
Kathy, I'm not around much in the daytime during the week so I missed this ultra beautiful poem. We can't go back but we can go forward. Only love can direct us. Much love to you.

I'd drive you forever and take you to all your favorite places" Wouldn't that be wonderful.
Scarlett Sumac
May 06, 2011 10:12 PM
So beautiful. And after some harsh words escaped my lips today I'm taking them back...
lschmoopie
May 08, 2011 06:10 AM
I'm so sorry. This is beautiful.
Sirenita Lake
May 08, 2011 03:24 PM
I read this about the time you posted. My head and heart grasped for air. This poem holds its own breath.
scupper
May 15, 2011 05:05 PM
Look long and far enough.

http://open.salon.com/blog/the_shadow_of_light/2011/05/13/so_you_want_to_be_reincarnated

http://open.salon.com/blog/the_shadow_of_light/2011/05/16/chicago_bootleggers_bastard_canadian_daughter
Carl Senna
May 16, 2011 03:23 PM

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