FINDING ERIC

For Eric Drobinski, L-S '99

When I got the call,

      I went looking for
 
           Eric, and found him

       on my wall,

in a collage of Thoreau field trips,

                    in Concord, then later near the slopes

of Monodanock, that lonely peak, where we

                 made camp.  In one frame,
   
                            he stood quietly in the

             back of the crowd, tall enough to still
                   
be seen, so serious, in the other, he was

      suddenly riding on Fliss' back.  I remember

now how he tried to make a fire in

                 the rain, after we all had fled to the

tents, a source of warmth in

        our lives, and him going barefoot

                with Terry, the two real woodsmen

in our camp that day, at home in this cold,

            wet place I so much wanted to love. When I ran out

              of photos, I turned to memories, whole albums worth:
 
     lacrosse, Walden, the cabin, the tent, the classes,

the road trip, the presence, Leaves, the gentleness, the simple
   
               human kindliness, and I sat

                                there, like on a tree stump, just turning

the pages, the fire flaring

                          up from embers, my face reddening,

   aglow, sitting across the campfire, such a good person to sit

                  with, warmed by the memories where  

                               even those lost

                                          are forever found.


September 22, 2002



All written material © Bill Schechter, 2016
Contact Bill Schechter

All written material © Bill Schechter, 2016
Contact Bill Schechter