Coeur de voh, New Caledonia, photo by Yann Arthus Bertrand.
This morning I clicked on my friend Gillian's site, expecting to see some holiday snaps and tales of her latest adventure. Instead, a You Tube video and a song were featured. I turned the sound on and immediately was overwhelmed by a flood of memories. The song was Christopher Cross's Sailing, which was very meaningful to me and my once-fiance, who was murdered. You may remember the Love and Death piece I wrote about Ghassan. He lived his life with zest, humour and imagination, as though he sensed his time in this world was fleeting.
Merrily sailing along, too much
squeezed into a moment in time,
then gone too soon.
Yet the world continues to turn
and the essential rings true:
love never dies.
It may change form
and shift attention,
but love remains,
embedded deep in the psyche
and in the solitary heart,
which bears jagged scars
post-heartbreak,
but sings with the knowledge
that you once lived
and loved and laughed.
Great photo and I went back and read your story behind the song, Sailing. I love that song, so mellow and calming. So sorry to read about Ghassan. Isn't it amazing how a song can move us?
Posted by: Linda | 21 January 2008 at 08:45
Another secret I find about you today. So sorry for your loss. Beautiful picture, song, poem, and memories....
Posted by: My Melange | 21 January 2008 at 04:19
What an amazing photo...but more than that was clinking on a link to read something I had not seen before. I was transfixed by the story and felt such sadness at the ending.
How hard that must have been.
XOXOXO
Posted by: Lisa M.S. Oceandreamer | 21 January 2008 at 00:53
The soul never forgets. Your poem is so touching. Sending you love, JP/deb
Posted by: JanePoe (aka Deborah) | 20 January 2008 at 17:55
What a touching and beautiful tribute, Tara, in words and the photo. Sending you many hugs, my friend~XOXO
Posted by: tinker | 20 January 2008 at 10:43
A beautiful poem for a lost love, who loved life. Amazing photo!
XXOO
Posted by: Tammy | 19 January 2008 at 23:34
A breathtaking photo, and the perfect accompaniment to your touching poem.
Each time you've writtnen about Ghassan, my heart aches for the senseless tragedy of this loss. I can't help but think about the thousands of similar needless losses which continue to occur throughout the world.
How I would love to see peace in my lifetime - as so many have said before.
Posted by: Becca | 19 January 2008 at 17:04
Beautiful, Tara.
Posted by: Marilyn | 19 January 2008 at 16:50
http://www.pbs.org/flw/filmmakers/index.html
ahhh Tara! I've got lots more FLW to photograph here...S.C.Johnson Wax was born and raised here...and all of his buildings were created or designed by FLW...follow the link above Ken Burns created a doc about FLW and it's on dvd (you know what a fan I am of PBS not sure if you get that in paris..but lots of doc are available on dvd)...I too think FLW was fascinating...We need more planet friendly building today...he was certainly ahead of his time!
Funny, I was born and raised here and it took me moving away for a couple of years to realize how rich the history is around here:)
Posted by: apt. a | 19 January 2008 at 14:55
Thank you for sharing this with us - a beautiful post in every way.
Posted by: Passementerie | 19 January 2008 at 12:26
Such a beautiful tribute to your once-fiancè.
The photo is amazing.
Posted by: Britt-Arnhild | 19 January 2008 at 07:57
Tara,
I am teary. Thanks for sharing such a personal memory with us. I am saddened you lost your fiance to death (especially by murder, how awful). What a tragic thing to live through.
The song for me makes me stand still, and listen. I don't think anyone I know can listen to it and shut it out, it begs to be heard.
Yes, Washington is still in the works for you Tara. I will post photos soon...tonight if I can. Much love to you-my most inspirational, intelligent and wonderful friend.
xo
Gillian
Posted by: Gillian @ Indigo Blue | 19 January 2008 at 03:48
Oh my, Tara. The photo, the song, the poem, the story, and then Sherry's eloquent comment. You've brought to mind something from my college days I haven't thought about in a long time. Thank you. K.
Posted by: Karen DeGroot Carter | 19 January 2008 at 03:19
What a wonderful picture. We're told every so often to look up once in awhile..sometimes we ought to look down:) I'm new to your blog so I went back and read "Love and Death". It was very moving.Thankyou for sharing it.
~Christine
Posted by: DuBuhDuDesigns | 19 January 2008 at 02:47
I remember reading about this tragedy. I felt so stunned when I read it. To think that such a thing could happen to you ..or anyone, is so heart rending.
Posted by: Pam Aries | 19 January 2008 at 02:17
What a magical picture.
Posted by: dawn | 19 January 2008 at 01:30
ah... les iles de coeur de la nouvelle caledonie!!
how beautiful!!
sailing off wind towards the southern cross...
thank you tara for the lovely post!!
Posted by: marita | 18 January 2008 at 23:55
Such a beautiful poem. How very sad you had to experience that tragedy, but I'm so glad you can remember him often and so eloquently.
The photo is wonderful.
Posted by: Jeanie | 18 January 2008 at 22:52
I don't remember the poem before, but I can't read everyday for awhile, so I'll just say it was totally beautiful, as well as poignant.
Posted by: Mary T. | 18 January 2008 at 22:09
hi......just posted the photo and some of the lyrics.
Posted by: awareness | 18 January 2008 at 21:51
Hola Tara!!
Linda foto, hermosa...
un buen final de semana para ti y tu familia.
Saludos desde Río,
Posted by: mauricio planel | 18 January 2008 at 21:43
Just beautiful, Tara... and this picture took my breath. How amazing!
I remember that post well. ;)
:)
Posted by: Amber | 18 January 2008 at 21:32
Tara,
Just read the original post...an amazing amount of living packed into those 28 years. This must have really rocked you when you clicked over to Gillian's and heard the song.
x...x
Posted by: stephanie | 18 January 2008 at 20:59
I'm so sorry for your loss. I love the way certain songs evoke treasured memories. It sounds like your fiance was a wonderful person. *hugs*
Posted by: Amy | 18 January 2008 at 20:54
What a lot to endure, to recover from...I am listening to Gillians song as I am looking at your amazing photo!
love!
Posted by: stephanie | 18 January 2008 at 20:53
what a blessing you are ~ a truly fantastic poem & an incredible photo on love & the heart. doesn't get much better than that!
Posted by: studio wellspring | 18 January 2008 at 20:39
I don't remember reading his story before Tara. Thanks for sharing your song with us, I too, like 'Sailing', although nothing comes to mind when I hear it. But I will now.
Posted by: Brian | 18 January 2008 at 20:15
hearts hold such stories of love.....and keep the stories alive for us. beautiful poem Tara.....beautiful love. The picture is stunning.
yesterday, as I was driving to work the Christopher Cross song came on the radio........I hadn't heard it in years, and was lost in the freedom and beauty of the lyrics and melody again. While listening, the traffic stopped and I was stuck long enough to be blown away by a beautiful sunrise taking place right above a an old cemetary. I took a photo from the driver's seat and was planning on posting it this weekend....with the words to Sailing......
I'll let you know when I have it up.........for you to see.
xo
Posted by: awareness | 18 January 2008 at 19:22
Wow, I had no idea that you had to endure such a tragedy. Some things in life are had to carry, but you do it so elegantly. I love the photo and poem and am just off to listen to the song.
Posted by: Carla | 18 January 2008 at 17:57
This is such a stunning photo, isn't it? I remember your tragic love story and still have no words for its sadness. This song also brings back memories for me, alas of letting go of love after a break-up, it was incredibly healing. I wonder if people's souls live in for as long as they are remembered? Perhaps that is why it is so important to not forget about them, to talk and write about them, to keep holding them close in our hearts and to dedicate songs to them :)
Posted by: Kerstin | 18 January 2008 at 17:00
Such a lovely post for a snowy (at least here) morning!
Posted by: Pepektheassassin | 18 January 2008 at 16:59
I had no idea that this tragedy had happened in your life. What a moving story.
Much Love
Di
xo
Posted by: Di Overton | 18 January 2008 at 16:38
Musical memories, of things I didn't know about you.
Yes Love will go on, it always finds a way!
xox
Constance
must go visit Gillian now!
Posted by: rochambeau | 18 January 2008 at 16:01
Tara...your words and this image are breathtaking...
It's uncanny what a song can evoke...I listened to Gillian's you tube last night and had memories of a specific time and place too (so much for Washington!!).
I love that you keep Ghassan in a special place in your heart (how could you not?)...it is so easy to move on and leave pieces behind. I love your description of his zest for life and a "knowing" that he hadn't much time. I think there are souls like that...very much...they have a sense of how fleeting their time with us is going to be and therefore they fill it and us to the maximum capacity.
(((((hugs)))) for your gentle soul and your giving spirit.
Posted by: Sherry | 18 January 2008 at 15:23
I know the photographers, worked with him at my former publishing company. Great picture!
Posted by: Alyssa | 18 January 2008 at 13:23