Hail 'Ha,' Well Met
Hail "Ha," Well Met!
“Ha’s” a friend who I cherished and felt cherished by
More than sister or brother, our parents were sky
Overhead, sun, moon, stars that still glow in their pride
That two mates (born of stardust) took life so in stride,
That we looked more at value, did not ascribe blame
In a world where few others I’ve met, act the same!
A new world (war took homeland): we met as we trained
To develop a life skill that suits more right-brained,
More emotive, creators, that others seek out,
When their hair curls a strange way, or color’s in doubt.
Yes, we surfed waves for fun, and life’s splits cut away,
Friends who loved to make straight twists and turns in our day.
She would ring me, “Hey, Evil!” if I did not call.
But then cancer stepped in, her green faded with Fall.
Moms brought closer by loss, we both lost sons too soon,
Sparks extinguished in Springtime, months well short of June.
Though each life gained is gifting, it fills with mistakes,
May no God doubt the courage all human life takes!
Brian Johnston
18th of May in 2020
Poet’s Notes:
I wrote this poem for my love, Kimmy Mai, to memorialize her friend Ha Pham who died of cancer on the 15th of May 2020. Ha and Kimmy were both children during and refugees of the Vietnam War.
It is a challenge to write a poem as a ghostwriter in the voice of another living being. I did not know Ha at all really though I did meet her at least once many years ago. Some may recall the memorial poem I wrote when Kimmy’s boss at Santa Clara Hair Salon died (that is now a part of “Beary Tales”) called “Only A Star.” It was that sweet simple poem that gave me the idea of giving “discovered poetry” by Bear Johnston a full page of exposure with each Beary Tale adventure! Bear’s poetry gives me a chance to offer his unique, more “mature” perspective with each vignette.
Kimmy asked me to write a simple poem like “Only A Star” for her friend. The first stanza was the seed that helped me to tease out more details of what helped to make Ha so important to Kimmy. Ha’s “Hey, Evil!” greeting and their shared loss (both had sons who committed suicide that the poem only hints at), help make the poem noteworthy. May I say though, I also love the poem’s concluding lines.
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