Asturian-American Migration Forum

Dear Bob:
I should like to dedicate this poem, of Miguel Ruiz, to Evelyn.

RETURN TO LIFE

I waken....
And nothing is the same. ....
For the first time, ....
I open my eyes, ....
These eyes of mine....
I long believe could see....
And find that all I knew was true ....
Was nothing but a false dream. ....

Then, like a radiant star....
The Angel of Death....
The Angel of Life became ....
And transformed my dream....
From a drama of fear ....
To a joyful comedy. ....

So surprised, I ask the angel,....
"Am I dead?"....
She replies, ....
"Yes, for these many years, ....
Though your heart beat on, ....
Your mind slept in the grave of illusion....
Unconscious of your divinity. ....

"Now, with heart beating....
And body breathing,....
Your mind as awakened from hell.....
Renewed, your eyes....
Admire the beauty awaiting you.....

"Your divined awareness wakens....
All the love in your being.....
Hating and fearing forsaken,....
Gone are the guilt and the blame.....
Your soul forgive,....
Your divinity lives."....

My eyes, in fascination, ....
Stare at the angel.....
Sensing the truth waking in me.....
I surrender, willingly, ....
Without condition.....
Humbly receiving....
Death and life,....
To hell, I release all claim....
And with new eyes,....
See my eternal love…leaving.....

REGRESO A LA VIDA

Desperté, y ya no era la misma.
Por primera vez, abrí los ojos,
los mismos que creía tener abiertos,
engañándome por tanto tiempo
sin saber que únicamente
estaba viviendo en un falso sueño.

Con una hermosa sonrisa,
como una estrella brillante,
el Angel de la Muerte
en el Angel de la Vida cambiaba,
transformando de mi vida el drama
en la más deliciosa comedia.

¿Es que acaso he fallecido?
Pregunté al Angel con sorpresa.
Muerta por tanto tiempo has estado
y aunque en tu cuerpo el corazón latía,
tu mente en la tumba de la ilusión dormía,
donde tu divinidad inconsciente yacía.

Tu corazón aún late,
tu cuerpo aún respira,
más tu mente ha despertado
del largo letargo del infierno.
Es por eso que tus ojos han cambiado
admirando la belleza que te espera.

Tu divina conciencia ha despertado.
De tu ser, el amor emana
dejando el odio y el temor en el pasado.
La acusación y la culpa han terminado.
Perdonando tu alma, has resucitado
comenzando tu romance con la vida.

Mis ojos la vieron fascinado
comprendiendo la verdad en mí dormida.
Sin pensarlo, me rendí sin condición
y ahora, con hulmildad, acepto la muerte y la vida.
Dejando ir las ataduras del infierno,
con gratitud veo partir me amor eterno.

Gracias, that poem is beautiful. I no longer do biology research, but I write, and for some strange reason keep getting invited to read what I write at conferences (next one, SLSA in Atlanta in November). I started writing poetry for Evelyn 12 years ago, and have only yesterday began showing it to others. Here is the very first, from 1997.


December


You and I kiss, a whispered secret
More precious than rubies, glistering and darker than blood,
And softer than the breathless secrets of the night,
When ice, salt rime and drifting gibbous moon
Cast pale blue sheen and shimmer,
Cool ripped satin, still against a sere landscape.

We two watch through frost leafed windows
All the living, winking stars,
Like mackerel flashing in a distant sea.
Still bathed in sweat, I kiss your fingers,
A wine so poignant that my tongue and bones
Ache from mere scent and memory.

When we were young, we could melt winter, render ripe the earth,
Make blue squill linger before fading into paper blossoms,
And ourselves create late spring's warm and preternatural sexuality.
Then we, more than a little enchanted by the erotic musk of lilacs,
Would clench each other's moist upper thighs and groins,
Entangle our sticky hairs,
And writhe against each other on the moon-rich, honeyed earth.

We now together watch the moon.
You think quick and I think silver,
No longer two but one.

Bob, for better or worse, I tend to express my condolences privately, as I´ve done.

But I want to pick up on a theme you´ve mentioned several times: your writing. It could be that your next presentation on Asturian-American experience should be a poem or story. Your own family´s story, for example, would really interest an Asturian audience.

----------------

Bob,so mejor o peor, me tienden a expresar mis condolencias en privado, como lo he hecho.

Pero quiero retomar un tema que has mencionado varias veces: tu escritura. Podría ser que tu próxima presentación debe ser un poema o cuento sobre la experiencia de los astur-americanos en América. La historia de tu propia familia, por ejemplo, sería realmente un interés al público asturiano.

For those interested in Evelyn's obituary:

http://www.facebook.com/ext/share.php?s ... HCM&ref=nf

Many, many people at Evelyn's wake. Friends, family from all over, all of our kids' friends, the vet techs who have taken care of our cats for many years, members of her cancer support group. The list goes on an on. She was a very loved woman, and the strongest and best person I have ever known.

We placed a blue hydrangea, a beach rose, a lock of my hair, a note from our granddaughters, and beach glass in the coffin to be cremated with her, akin to what she and I have always done for our cats. Our kids made organized photo displays selected from over 15,000 we had in our home, including some of her photos from Cape Ann, which she made into cards and donated to our hospital's cancer care center to sell as a fund raiser.

Her memorial service is Monday. We just finished designing it late last night - good music by family (her family is very talented in this area), a little poetry, the 23rd psalm, and memories from family and friends. This will be followed, of course, by a party to celebrate her life at our favorite New Haven restaurant where we ate every Thursday for well over a year. They are normally closed on Monday but will open for us - the chef his his wife/manager are friends of ours.

Many years ago, noting that there was no American holiday between the Fourth of July and Labor Day, we established Cute People's Day, the first Sunday in August. Our kids were mortified to find that we had posted notices on every phone pole in the neighborhood, but soon got into the spirit. So celebrate with us today. Remind people you love that they are cute, eat, drink (sidra or maybe a drop of Laphroaig if you like single malts or Lynch Bages if you like wine) and love. She loved me and our kids and our granddaughters more than there are words to describe.

Bob, really really sorry to hear this. Hang in there brother.

Bob, my condolences.

Ken

You shared a remarkable love, and a remarkable life. My condolences to you and yours.

Donna Alvarez

Bob:

Llevo varios días en el pueblo y no pude conectarme a Internet.
Lamento mucho que hayas perdido a Evelyn tan rápidamente, pero pienso que ella ya descansó y os contempla sonriente desde el Cielo.

Rezo por ella y porque podais superar el dolor de su pérdida. Creo que habeis sabido crear juntos una familia muy unida y éso os ayudará.

Un abrazo

Bob:

He rezado por Evelyn y por ti todos estos dias.
Espero que la misma fe en Dios que ayudo a nuestros antepasados a
enfrentar la vida al viajar a un nuevo mundo desconocido, te acompane
a ti en estos momentos dificiles y que esa misma fe, te lleve de la mano
a encontrar la paz espiritual para que continues siendo miembro activo
de tu preciosa familia que mucho te necesita.
Que Dios te bendiga, Raquel

Sorry for the delay in posting this. I'm still catching up on my emails!

In a message from Susan, one of Bob's children, there was a link to Evelyn's online obituary and guest book:
http://obit.beecherandbennett.com/obitd ... ng=Current

I'll post the content of the obituary below, too.

For those that may have been wondering, the obituary suggests several charities to which you could make a memorial contribution in memory of Evelyn. I've added links to their websites. (For what it's worth, I choose Connecticut Hospice, but I know that Bob and Evelyn are crazy about their cats, who are listed in the obituary, and I've also heard very positive reports about the care Evelyn received at the Hospital of Saint Raphael.)

---------------------------------------

Lo siento por el retraso en publicar éste. ¡Todavía estoy poniendo al día mis correos electrónicos!

En un mensaje de Susan, uno de los hijos de Bob, había un enlace para el obituario de Evelyn en línea y el libro de visitantes:
http://obit.beecherandbennett.com/obitd ... ng=Current

Voy a publicar el contenido del obituario más abajo, también.

Para aquellos que se estaban preguntando, el obituario sugiere varias organizaciones benéficas a que se puede hacer una contribución en memoria de Evelyn. He añadido enlaces a sus páginas web. (Para lo que vale, elijo a Connecticut Hospice, pero sé que Bob y Evelyn están locos por sus gatos, que se enumeran en el artículo necrológico, y también he escuchado informes muy positivos sobre los cuidados que Evelyn recibida en el Hospital de San Rafael.)

=======================

The Animal Haven, 89 Mill Road, North Haven, CT 06473, http://www.theanimalhaven.com/donate.php

Cape Ann Animal Aid Association, 260 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930,
http://www.capeannanimalaid.com/newsite/donations.htm

The Father J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, Hospital of Saint Raphael, Attention: Foundation, 1450 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511, http://204.13.30.128/foundation/found_gifts.asp (be sure to specify The Father J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care)

Connecticut Hospice Inc., 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405, http://www.hospice.com/donate.htm

=======================

Evelyn Leeman Martinez
Born in Manhatten, New York on Dec. 29, 1942
Departed on Jul. 29, 2009 and resided in New Haven, CT.
Visitation: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2009
A Joyful Celebration of Evelyn's Life: Monday, Aug. 3, 2009
Please click on the links above for locations, times, maps, and directions.


Evelyn Leeman Martinez, 66 and 7 months to the day, of New Haven, CT and Rockport, MA died at home on July 29, 2009 after surviving a 6 year diagnosis of peritoneal cancer.

Evelyn is survived by her husband of thirty years, Bob Martinez, who will always love her even more than the small rain loves the gentle earth. She also leaves her devoted children, Kathryn Martinez (David), Susan Martinez Sendroff (Adam), and Michael Martinez; two granddaughters, Lily Sendroff and Zoe Sendroff, who will love her over the rainbow and back forever; brother George Leeman (Ginny); niece Leslie Leeman Uhl (Trevor); nephew Jeffrey Leeman; grand-nephew Carter Uhl; and beloved cats, Fletcher Longshanks, Moondance Magic Proudtail, Ebeneezer Shadowfriskums, and Gideon Skimblefrost. She is predeceased by her parents; her Uncle Jud; and cats Little Cat Fearsfriskums; Mr. Jocko Skimblespats, Sir; Little Mama Maggie Snugglenoze; Darwin Pfefferneuse; and Phoebe Magic Snowdust.

Born in Manhattan in 1942 to the late George Leeman and Evelyn Boeger Leeman, Evelyn was raised in Ridgefield, CT, later relocating to New Haven in the early 1960’s and becoming a part time resident of Rockport in 1997. Attending SCSU as an Art major, she later switched to Social Work and received her Master’s from NYU. During her professional career, she worked in mental health services, first at Cornerstone in New Haven and later for Griffin Hospital in Derby. In addition to many volunteer ventures, Evelyn proudly co-founded Cute People’s Day in 1990, always the first Sunday in August.

Evelyn recently shared with her loved ones that life isn’t about waiting for the storm to be over, but about learning to dance in the rain. Her vibrant, generous and compassionate spirit deeply touched most everyone she encountered. She will be remembered as a strong, brave, creative and generous woman with a bright smile and infectious laugh. Evelyn enjoyed celebrating all of life’s moments with her family and friends, planting magnificent gardens, photography, and walking the beach listening to the waves while looking for sea glass treasures.

In lieu of flowers, please make a memorial donation to one of her favorite causes: The Animal Haven, 89 Mill Road, North Haven, CT 06473; Cape Ann Animal Aid Association, 260 Main Street, Gloucester, MA 01930; the Father J. McGivney Center for Cancer Care, Hospital of Saint Raphael, Attention: Foundation, 1450 Chapel Street, New Haven, CT 06511, or Connecticut Hospice Inc., 100 Double Beach Road, Branford, CT 06405.

Friends and family may call on Saturday, August 1st from 4:00 to 8:00 pm at BEECHER & BENNETT Funeral Home, 2300 Whitney Avenue, Hamden and all are welcome to attend a joyful celebration of her life on Monday, August 3rd at 5:00 pm at the Episcopal Church of St. Paul and St. James, 57 Olive Street, New Haven.

Thanks for posting that Art.

For our friends on Cape Ann, there will be a second memorial service at 11:00 am on Saturday, September 26 at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 24 Broadway, Rockport, Massachussetts, followed by lunch at My Place by the Sea (my treat, of course). Anyone who wishes to join in the celebratory meal should let me know in advance. We need a head count - the restaurant has award winning food, but is not big. It was our favorite place here in Rockport, and is owned by good friends. Kathy is the chef and her partner Barbara is the manager and the person in charge of flowers, planting, decor, etc.

And just to share something with our online community, something I wrote for Evelyn but never had a chance to show to her:

Winter is a mortal season,
Enchanted and enchained.
Snow flocked windows mask the ocean's,
Cold and black and murderous rage,
That gnaws the granite bones.

Kiss me in that last, most bitter winter of despair.
And we will together--for ourselves alone--become,
Death and resurrection,
And love...,
Love past hope and understanding,
Love renewed and love regained,
Love unsought, unasked, unbidden,
All lost love ransomed by our pain,
Cold mercy, warm deliverance,
...and the ravening wolf.

And I will ask no kyrie but your loving voice,
whispering softly, softly, my own secret name.

And our souls will remind each other that we both know
Nothing lasts forever save love and death.
Not even the sky.

Dear Bob,

What a beautiful poem. You should take all the poems you have written and have them printed...in Evelyn's Memory. What a tribute to her that would be.

Hope all is well with you and your family.

Abrazos

Barbara

Bob,

La vida nos pone a veces ante situaciones extremas.
Cuenta con nuestro apoyo.

Aún no conociéndoos casi, lamento la pérdida, Bob.