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The Touch Of The Open
(Between An Open Love and A Greedy Heart)
A butterfly surprising me
landed on my palm and made me see
the radiance of life’s floating smile
burning through the haze of my blue ennui
to melt my heart so gratefully
into your redeeming love for me.
But I know you’re that kind of grace
that must weave through life at your own pace,
and so I walk on fear’s knife-edge
dreading unknowns that might come to be,
standing in your glow between
an open love and my heart greedy.
If I close you in, I will crush your dreams,
If my love is open, you will float away.
If I keep you here, I will kill beauty,
If I love your freedom, my heart will break
when you leave
as you must
to be the wonder in this world that you are,
a butterfly
floating free
through the sunbeams of old age memories.
A butterfly surprising me
landed on my palm and made me see
the radiance of life’s floating smile
burning through the haze of my blue ennui
to warm my heart into love for you
and feeling that incredible high to be
the world’s heart now beating as me,
the fullness of all this joy so free,
as big as the sun to life can be.
I’ll think of you in future times,
smiling, knowing I could love so much,
grateful to remember how
you made me flower into springtime love,
a timeless grace flitting heart to heart
linking minds forever in your sea of love,
immersing those soon left behind
into the touch of the open,
the touch of the open,
the touch of the open…
23 August 2017
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manuelgarciajr 
Dear Manuel, I am very sad to let you know Robert passed away on Monday afternoon (Australian time) from a sudden and severe heart attack. He was with me but far from his American family. Thank you for your poetry (which he often shared with me) which has given him joy and often thoughtful reflection. He was my true love, my best friend, the most wonderful, ethical, honest, loving, and smart man I have known. I miss him terribly. His “Aussie sweetie”.
Dear “Aussie Sweetie” of Robert Pearsall,
I am so sorry to hear that Robert has suddenly left this world, and I can see from your words how very sad this is for you. I also see from your words that he was very lucky to be loved by you, and that you felt the same way about him. There will be good memories in that, a comfort for later in the future when the raw pain of the present has faded enough for some kind of life to continue for you. I always enjoyed his letters and comments to me, for their intelligence, knowledge and wit, even if on occasion he might disagree with my political slant on one or another of the world’s follies: he made me think!, which is the best I can say of another mind. I am glad some of my poetry gave Robert pleasure, and appreciate you telling me so. That is the best I could ever hope to achieve with my writing, to make a heartfelt connection with another person. Someone recently told me that grief is life’s way of recording in its ledger that you have invested love into it, adding to the goodness in this world. I feel for you.
Manuel Garcia, Jr.
“As the bee takes the essence of a flower and flies away without destroying its beauty and perfume, so let the sage wander in this life.”
— The Dhammapada, 49