Reaper: Elegy

By Alfred Colo

A collection of Laments and poems
of praise for the dead with related
quotations, writings, and images
New Fairfield, CT-(Release Date
TBD)From the award-winning
author of Inside Looking Out and
Love Lines comes another remarkable
book suffused with deep and intense
sentiments. Alfred Colos REAPER: An
Elegy is a collection of laments and
poems of praise for the dead filed with
related quotations, writings, and images
for readers to appreciate.
Death is a significant part of life
that everybody experiences. Mourning
fills hearts with grief and misery, pain
and hopeless, and other depressing
emotions. In REAPER, Colo shares
his multifarious thoughts and feelings
about death and its many natures
through his laments and poems. In
these elegiac articulations, readers will
plunge into a melancholic world where
important realities unfold. These poems
talk about pain of death, the bitterness
of losing a beloved, the gloomy shade of
mourning, and the secrets of darkness.
Aside from the poetic expressions are
relative writings filled with insights that
help anyone understand more about
life and death. Related images and
quotations are also incorporated in this
lamenting collection to add a sensible
touch to the writings.

Written not only with a sole purpose,
REAPER: An Elegy also helps anyone to
realize the importance of being prepared
and to constantly keep that strong
faith in God, for death is sometimes
surprising and inevitable.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Dec 28, 2009
• ISBN: 9781465332240

Alfred Colo

Alfred Colo, a former singer-songwriter, has immersed himself in full-blown poetry from creative love lyrics he honed his craft on when he realized that his passion for words lay beyond mere expressions of amour. His initial attempt at self-publishing with Xlibris Corporation in 2008 is a nature lover’s view in poetry through the four seasons, entitled Inside Looking Out. Reluctant at first, not offering too much material at once for reasons both pragmatic and artistic, he later ventured to expand his theme with residual material not included in his first book on four seasons alone. As his appetite grew, he knew that there was more he had to say in his accumulated poetry since 1984, which begged inclusion of more poems on the related twelve months of a year beyond the four seasons. After years of creative writing, learning and perfecting his art, he felt it was worthy enough and the right time to make public what eventually has become this collection. He trusts that his reading followers will concur that it was indeed worth the effort to have written a “companion book” to its predecessor, Inside Looking Out. Alfred lives in New Fairfield, Connecticut, after compelling circumstances led him here to exit the Big Apple. Including this one, he has authored twelve books pictured with others to follow. An active octogenarian, Alfred pursues his prolific outpourings on a variety of subjects at a still-going-like sixty white-heat rate. See if you can keep pace with a poet determined to make a mark and to leave a legacy to be proud of. He captures the spirit of his works by suggesting wholly or in part what the cover design will look like on both front and back. From his New Fairfield, Connecticut, home, author Alfred Colo finds inspiration in the abundant wild life he observes and includes in his writing. Other favorite creatures he depicts are angels, nativity scenes and yes, even Santa. Colo’s writings, are rich in detail and luminous in depth and like much of his work, it transcends its confines to achieve a dimensional reality infused with spiritual peace, whimsy, originality and creative imagination, singular cheer and good will. “I relish re-creating scenes of simple, uncomplicated faith,” Colo adds. Responding to an inner childhood calling, the author has created a succession of works as a diverse poet of impressive stature, rivaling his predecessors and role models. He is enabled to keep-fresh the approximately two-thousand-year gap from BC Bethlehem to the current beliefs in Christianity in his re-creation of this advent Christmas story of Jesus nativity.

Book preview

Copyright © 2009 by Alfred Colo.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in

any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying,

recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without

permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

The prayers and poems in this book are original; the rest of the material has

been collected over an extended period of time, so regretably, credit may not be

attributed to original authors marked anonymous.

Cover art: suggested by the author,

Alfred Colo

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

63212

Contents

Prelude

The Secret Of Death

The Staircase

High Life

fright night

All Hallows

Halloween Tradition

Just A Scream Away . . . .

Mischief On Parade

Celebration: (Honoring those we love, remembering those we miss)

All That Heaven Allows

Make Me An Angel

Unknown Angels

Barbero

Chez Anyone?

The Mouse Trap

Poor Parakeet

Stalk Point

Triumph & Tragedy

Dead Is

What Did The Dinos In?

When Sparrows Fall

The Caregiver

Hospice, A Philosophy Of Care, Not A Place . . .

Crossing Over

Kingdom Come

A Matter Of Life Or Death (Choice)

Love Comes Softly (Comfort & Healing)

A Quiet Place

The Candles Stay Lit (Cop-Killing)

Trust

The Gateway

Thank You

Half Way Home

Eager For Heaven

Old Salt Talks

Face To Face

Heaven Must Be

Heaven’s Own

Born Again

Everybody’s Doing It

Happy Birthday, Me

If I Had My Life To Live Over

If Truth Be Told

It’s A Boy! You Have A Son!

May Is Older Citizens’ Month

Memory’s House

Reflection

The Older You Are

The Other Side Of You

These Old Hands

This Time Of Year

A Walk Of Faith

Some Of Us (Grace)

To Be Or Not—

Instruments Of Grace

Klokken Bells

Life-Everlasting

Cheated

Hold Fast

Legacy

Promise And Ashes

Until You Hear The Knock

A Merry Little Christmas

Not Alone

One More Day

Tree Of Life

The Return

Safe Landing

Dead Is:

Die-Hard Habits

O, Brother. (humor)

Stone Walls

Feed A Child. Save A Life

The Difference

If You Were To Happen To Me

An Empty Cradle

The Day of the Dead in Mexico

The Fourth Man

If

Our Rock Is Here To Stay

No One Knows

Thanks For The Memories . . .

Intercession

Obituary

Sanctuary

Echoes

May is Older American Month

Obituary

In Memoriam

Memorial Service For Virginia Clark

A Thank You Note

Triumph Over Tragedy

The Lollipop Man

Memorium

Field Of Flags

Cries In The Wilderness

Trouble In Paradise

Lines & Spaces

Warning

Now And Forever

Wisdom Of Heart

The Last Enemy

Other Poets (On Death)

This Is The New Paradise

Shylock

The Alternative

T’was A Snake In The Garden Of Eden

Wishful Dreaming

The Lord Of Misrule

Shadow Of Death

Good News To Sufferers

When Death Came Home

Left Out

Lord! Lord! Lord! Lord!

Silence Of The Heart

Starcrossed

Suicide Notes

Dead Man Walking

The Oil Of Salvation

A Look At Sacrifice

Pieta

Requiem

Silence Of The Lamb The Suffering Servant

Stabat Mater

That Long Good Friday

Six Feet Under

Another Wall

In Time Of Sorrow

The Wicked

Live In Light

Why Me, Lord? . . . . Why Me?

The Distance

By Last Year’s Calendar

Ring Out The Old

A Sad Soldier’s Dream

O Promise, Lord

If Sin Is . . . .

The Christian Budget Plan

When the Saints Go Marching In

Exit Strategy

Reaper

(An Elegy)

Collected laments and

Poems of praise

for the dead, with

related quotations,

writings and images . . .

By the author of:

Inside Looking Out and

Love Lines

ALFRED COLO

Prelude

REAPER

Spilled blood may be wiped away.

Sins stain still remains after

cleaning up stiffs at a crime scene.

Death is tragic.

It is also big business, considering

the high cost of burial, tapped by a funeral.

Some deal with it spiritually.

Others handle it legally,

But what most don’t know—is that

when someone dies in your home,

it’s up to you to clean up the mess.

Certainly, the city will come to remove

the corpse, but may leave behind:

your own personal little souvenier.

Now, most folks don’t have the stomach

for that. That’s where the experts come in.

The cleaning of bodies is like cleaning

any other household spill.

It is up to the inspectors to determine

if death came by natural causes, or

fatal fowl play. Hence, the crime scene

must not be violated, that possible evidence

may not become contaminated, rendering the

final causes of death, more complex to solve.

One is never fully prepared to deal with

the ‘final blow,’ and the sudden uncertainty

of ultimate seperation. It all happens so fast,

you can easily miss removing jewelry or

other mementos from the departed, which might

either be stolen, burned at cremation, or

buried with the remains.

Rich people tend to die in hospitals.

Stains have memories: remembering their shape

and color, even smell. Really deep ones

surface again and again.

It’s easier to start over, given the chance to.

Sometimes you don’t, and all you can do is

hope that the grief itself, won’t kill you.

Is there a light at the end of the tunnel?

I’ll let you know when I get there!

Meanwhile, live the best life you can until

the scythe of the grim Reaper takes charge

of your ashes, before worms make most of

the delicacy of your record of three score and ten,

or more of life.

The Secret Of Death

Then Almitra spoke, saying, We would ask now of Death.

And he said:

You would know the secret of death.

But how shall you find it unless you seek it in the heart of life?

The owl whose night-bound eyes are blind unto the day cannot unveil the mystery of light.

If you would indeed behold the spirit of death, open your heart wide unto the body of life.

For life and death are one, even as the river and the sea are one.

In the depth of your hopes and desires lies your silent knowledge of the beyond;

And like seeds dreaming beneath the snow your heart dreams of spring.

Trust the dreams, for in them is hidden the gate to eternity.

Your fear of death is but the trembling of the shepherd when he stands before the king whose hand is to be laid on him in honour.

Is the shepherd not joyful beneath his trembling, that he shall wear the mark of the king?

Yet is he not more mindful of his trembling?

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun?

And what is it to cease breathing but to free the breath from its restless tides, that it may rise and expand and seek God unencumbered?

Only when you drink from the river of silence shall you indeed sing.

And when you have reached the mountain top, then you shall begin to climb.

And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.

KAHLIL GIBRAN

No one’s death comes to pass without making

some impression, and those close to the deceased

inherit part of the liberated soul and become

richer in their humanness.

-Hermann Broch-

001_edited.jpg

ANGEL OF DEATH

The Staircase

2004

(Accidental Death)

She was my life!

I still whisper her name in my heart—

In disbelief. She’s gone!

How shall I carry on?

She doesn’t become any the less real;

She could walk through here right now,

And we’d laugh together, and feel

As if nothing had happened. But it did.

Now I must try to live

In a grief-shattered dream,

Dead in her death

No hope of revival, or my survival.

Lost down the staircase,

Barely alive when I found her,

Never to see her smile again,

Hear her voice, feel her touch.

My single greatest source of joy,

She was my true soul-mate love,—

My whole life-fullfilling space,

With that look on her face, I can’t replace!

Together we built a blended family

From strands of prior ones,

’Til that staircase swallowed her up,

And nothing since, has ever been,

Nor ever will be quite—

The same for me again,

As the memory of her tragic flight,

Down that staircase to her doom,

Into the gloom,

yet pervading,

still haunting

this living room.

High Life

2005

(After Life)

High up is the high-life;

there believers go,

where there is no death, or strife,

and the fast lane speed is slow.

High-life is up higher,

our last place to start

living with eternity’s—

fire to warm the coldest heart.

Never needing