Rest In Peace
ROBIN WILLIAMS
July 21, 1951 – August 11, 2014
"Oh me! Oh life! of the questions of these recurring,
Of the endless trains of the faithless, of cities fill’d with the foolish,
Of myself forever reproaching myself,
(for who more foolish than I, and who more faithless?)
Of eyes that vainly crave the light, of the objects mean, of the struggle ever renew’d,
Of the poor results of all, of the plodding and sordid crowds I see around me,
Of the empty and useless years of the rest, with the rest me intertwined,
The question, O me! so sad, recurring—What good amid these, O me, O life?
Answer.
That you are here—that life exists and identity,
That the powerful play goes on, and you may contribute a verse." ~Walt Whitman
I had not thought of this poem until yesterday when the movie Dead Poets Society ran through my mind at the news of the tragic death of Robin Williams. I wasn't certain that I had heard the news correctly at first. I, like many others I suppose, thought it was another cruel internet hoax. Surely not Genie, or cheerful Mrs. Euphegenia Doubtfire be dead! Then I remembered that a thin veil of a line lies between comedy and tragedy. I no longer had the doubt, only the sorrow at a very tragic loss of a man I only knew through his work. Surprisingly, as I was sitting at my laptop, reading the incredulous news of his suicide I noticed that a few tears had fallen onto the desk.
The tears were not from the loss of Robin Williams, or his comedic genius. I believed I cried for the pain that he had been in to have taken his own life at 63. It was a pain that I had become all to familiar with following my own bout of depression following a year and a half in a hospital. Suicide, by definition merely means to take one's own life, the complete opposite of what our innate self instinctively does, self preservation. How could a man that gave us so much joy and laughter have been in so much desperate pain? It wasn't fair, I decided.
Then the words came across my computer screen, Robin Williams has died by an apparent suicide. There was that word again. I shook my head, this can't be real and like so many others worldwide I took to social media. Tweeting my sympathies, expressing my grief, and remembering the numerous roles he had portrayed over the years. Another tear fell down my cheek. Then I heard softly, "O Captain my Captain,..". Dead Poets Society, perhaps one of my favorite films of all times. The film deals with loyalty, leadership, friendships and teenage angst. The film climaxes with the suicide of a character we had grown to love and felt his disappointment when his father rejected his dream. Funny how this was the first movie that came to mind rather than his comedic roles, or standup.
What I loved about this movie was the character of Mr Keating, played by Robin Williams. His love of poetry, words and the seduction of them. I saw the similarities shared by the actor and the character he portrayed. When you write jokes and tell them you have to have an affinity for the language. By far my favorite quote from the movie however was the line he gave following his reciting "'Oh Me, 'Oh Life". What is your verse?
So to that I would like to answer in my tribute to Robin Williams, a man I had loved from a far. Admiring his wit, comedic timing, dramatic presence and his gentle spirit that embraced us all when he reached out to make us laugh. What was his verse? It was not that of a court jester, for he never played the fool. He embarked on a mission to tickle us in the deepest part of our funny bone. A graduate of the prestigious Juilliard, he honed his skill as an actor taking us on adventures to lands as far away as Jumanji running away from hunters to Neverland where we fought Captain Hook. He dazzled us with his brilliance in Good Will Hunting and scared us in One Hour Photo. Made us feel compassion for the sick in Patch Adams and Awakenings, making some of us want to become physicians and heal the world. He made us giggle in The Birdcage and Mrs Doubtfire, wondering how could Sally Field not forgive him, forgetting it was only a movie. Some of us relived our childhood when we heard the Genie tell Alladin he'd never have a friend like him, or the wisdom of a crazy penguin, worshiped by many or when he embodied that fast talking Fender in Robots. His verse was more than that of entertainer, or icon. His verse was tour guide of planet earth and its' inhabitants humankind. He showed us every emotion and made us feel them. We laughed, we cried, we marveled at his energy and endless talent. Now we sigh, and pause while we remember an old friend who many of us first met with two words; "Na-Nu, Na=-Nu."
Tonight, I will say goodbye to this Prince of Comedy the only way I know how; with poetry and words, that I think he would have appreciated.
Death is nothing at all.
It does not count.
I have only slipped away into the next room.
Everything remains as it was.
The old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.
Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.
Call me by the old familiar name.
Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.
Put no sorrow in your tone.
Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.
Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.
Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.
Let it be spoken without effort
Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was.
There is unbroken continuity.
Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?
I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.
All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.
One brief moment and all will be as it was before.
How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting, when we meet again.
Farewell Fisher King, you gave us a ride that was unforgettable and you absence will leave a void that can't and will never be filled. Thank you for sharing your talent with us all.
To my readers, I have no quotes tonight, my heart is full. Let's just remember the man that put a smile on our face just by walking in a room.
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