Averno by Louise Gluck, raises thoughts and insights.

Averno     By Louise Gluck

You die when your spirit dies.

Otherwise, you will live..

You may not do a good job of it, but you go on-

 something you have no choice about.   

You when I tell this to my children they pay no attention.

The old people, they think –

This is what they always do:

Talk about things no one can see

To cover up all the brain cells they’re losing.

They wink at each other;

Listen to the old one,talking about the spirit

Because he can’t remember anymore the word for chair.

It is terrible to be alone.

I don’t mean to live alone –

To be alone, where no one hears you.

I remember the word for chair.

I want to say -I’m just not interested anymore.

I wake up thinking

You’ll have to prepare.

Soon the spirit will give up –

All the chairs in the world won’t help you.

Thoughts

A.     What a marvellous first line of this poem. Seen this firsthand on many occassions. They were all female relations in their 90s, expressed that they had enough. Had lost interest in their hobbies, world events, family events. Their spirit was gone. They verbalised that they had enough and were tired. They did not live long after this admission.

B.     Fourth line verse one, is stoical. Meaning we have little choice in not getting on with it. Life is not fair and consequently we must develop resilience to get through the sometimes difficult journey. Get on with it, be the best you can be. 

C.     Does the second verse, highlight the generational difference and spiritual deficit in the young mind? Does she suggest that the youth have no spiritual grasp on life?

D.    Youth writing off the old because of their lack of appreciation for the spiritual dimension? They do not understand according to the poet the spiritual side of life, nor indeed, are they interested. They appear to takethe easy option that it is dementia and is slowing of the mind that makes the aged refer to invisible things like spirit. Closed minds and not taking the time to investigate the spiritual talk.

E.     Old people are more sensitive to the spirit? Why? They approach the end of their journey. They reflect on their contributions, their omissions, their commissions, their mistakes, their successes, their loves, their losses. As Epictetus says sickness is only a physical impediment not an impediment to the spirit.

F.     The human spirit is what keeps us going. The resilience, the courage, the vital attributes of humanity. Viktor Frankyl in a concentration camp. When the spirit is broken, they are finished. Observed in vacant gazes.

G.    The poet captures the concept of loneliness. How one can be lonely even in a crowd or  are even  living  with others. Loneliness and solitariness are too big killers, spirit breakers. As we get old,  less understood, more spiritual perhaps we get lonely and lost. 

H.    Are old people listened to less, ignored more, not heeded, not really paid attention to when they speak. Why?Increases disconnection, erodes self esteem, sets self worth on the decline and breaks the spirit.

I.      I love the use of the word chair to highlight the disregard for the old peoples words and intellect. How insulting it is!

J.      Near the end the poet shows defiance and says I know the word chair.

K.     The power admits, The last verse that the end of the journey is inevitable and approaching fast. They will call when the spirit has gone, the spirit to carry on, the spirit to live, the spirit to enjoy ordinary things.

L.      The poet realises then that even if her intellect is intact, And she can say chair, if the spirit to carry on is gone, it is over.  

M.   This is a great poem. It captures the sadness and loneliness of old age. The disconnection of the aged. How the old they are ignored and not listened to.

N.    The sadness jumps from the page. However, it is the consequence of being ignored. The young wink at each other in a disrespectful, belittling manner dismissing the words and observations of the aged.