Coral Sea

"The first time I saw Robert he was sleeping. I stood over him,  this boy of twenty , who sensing my presence opened his eyes and smiled. With few words he became my friend, my compeer, my beloved adventure. When he became ill I wept and could not stop weeping. He scolded me for that, not with words but with a simple look of reproach, and I ceased."

When I saw him last we sat in silence and he rested his head on my shoulder. I watched the light changing over his hands, over his work, and over the whole of our lives. Later, returning to his bed, we said goodbye. But as I was leaving something stopped me and I went back to his room. He was sleeping. I stood over him, a dying man, who sensing my presence opened his yes and smiled. When he passed away I could not weep so I wrote. Then I took the pages and set them away. Here are those pages, my farewell to my friend, my adventure, my unfettered joy." 

Coral Sea, Patti Smith