Allen+Massey

Al Massey: At the Continuity Meeting

The first meeting began with fragile optimism With resolutions best made early and often: To be better writers, teachers, friends and to remember Therealalmassey.

We remembered writing in a sacred hour Reading tenderly each other’s words Teaching strangers who became our friends Like therealalmassey.

In June Al begged his doctor To study in our company. To write and teach and be our friend. To make September resolutions.

With the dark-framed lenses, the frizzy hair, The unruly beard like a hip high priest, Al thought nothing sacred but his writing, his music, And kids writing of their families.

He arrived late, often stood in the corner, Held his pain in the knob of a cane, Never left without a question that kept us musing Or a musing that left us questioning.

In discontinuity we meet Without therealalmassey. We hardly knew his passion, his pondering, his pain. But we remember Al: writer, teacher, friend.

Bill Tucker