Dream Song 127: Again, his friend's death made the man sit still

John Berryman

Dream Song 127: Again, his friend's death made the man sit still
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Again, his friend's death made him—
Sit still and freeze inside for awhile it was
Like some newly discovered Halloween

It seemed like Halloween—
Suddenly Trick or Treat or Suicide
His friend's death suddenly outta the blue
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Henry felt the chill too—
Maybe longer than he did since
The guy had been a close college friend

Maybe even closer than that—
But they’d lost contact over the years
He’d gone to Korea rather than Viet Nam
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His suicide was smoking cigarettes—
His major had been journalism and he’d
Fought the tobacco companies hard

But it didn’t do any good—
Dying when he was only fifty-six
I felt like a mourning widow for years