In Memory: Conrad Hilberry, 1928-2017

At the top of the ladder, a gust catches the glass
And he is falling. He and the whole window topple
backwards like a piece of deception slowly
coming undone. After an instant of terror,
he feels easy, as though he were a boy
falling back on his own bed. For years,
he has clamped his hands on railings, balanced
against the pitch of balconies and cliffs
and fire towers. For years, he has feared falling.
At last, he falls. Still holding the frame,
he sees the sky and trees come clear
in the wavering glass. In another second
the pane will shatter over this whole length,
but now, he lies back on air, falling.

--Conrad Hilberry

Comments

[Admiral Biscuit]

Kalamazoo College has published a lovely obituary

[badninja]

I would love to have an epilogue chapter when Silver Glow is told.

[Willmar]

Sorry to hear about this.
My condolences.

[Talon and Thorn]

I wonder if he knew about your tribute to him.

[Conflicting views]

Poet, teacher and cyclist? I would've so liked to meet him.
That's one sad loss

[Fana Farouche]

I would not have known of him were it not for you and Silver, the world is strange.

[Vutava]

[M1Garand8]

Rest in peace, you awesome guy.

[richfiles]

I'm tearing up, man...
Went to the funeral of a family friend this pat week, so it's fresh in my mind and my heart. I know your pain.
Ponies (and Admirals) are for hugging.

[ClosetBrony]

Wow, that was a beautiful obituary. My condolences, Admiral. One of his multitudes lives on right here, right now, through YOU. ::hugs::

[arancaytar]

Oh no! Silver Glow will be a very devastated little pony when she hears about it.

She'll probably be in Equestria by now... I mean, by then, but she'll still be in touch with her friends.

[Jordanis]

I was just reading April or May or whenever it was that Silver Glow visited him at his house. I googled him after reading the linked poem, and noticed the dates, then came to see what you'd said. It's a weird feeling. I feel like I've met him.

The choice of poem is contributing to the weird feeling. My dad died that way in October, minus the pane of glass. I want to hold fast to the description of an easy feeling.

Plus I just read through the chapters on everyone moving out, so melancholy all around.