“For every single memory
Has become a part of me”
- George Michael, Older
The poetry collection Red Leaves is dedicated to the memory of my dear friend Diane – the reason why I started writing when I was 19 and haven’t stopped since. There are 1,179 words in total as ‘79’ was her year of birth and ‘11’ was my class number when I met her. There are altogether 14 poems, one for each year since I became a writer.
My tribute takes the form of poetry, which is virgin territory for me but the most fitting for Diane because she was a tremendously gifted writer who lived and breathed poetry. Doing something familiar like writing a profile about her would have been easier but it would not be as heartfelt. So I took the offbeat path in the hope that it will make all the difference.
Red Leaves is part fact, part fiction, and all good intention. It aims to evoke how earnestly beautiful a person and multifaceted a creative being Diane was.
I waited 17 years after Diane’s departure to do this because anything less than a decent tribute is unacceptable, and 2016 also marks two decades of knowing her. The timing is ripe – I simply wasn't ready 10 years ago, and like all the brilliant ones, she wasn't a fan of half measures. And if I wait another 10 years I don’t know where I’ll be so I should just seize the day.
I got inspired by a tender poem about autumn in the school magazine Diane handwrote and illustrated when she was a child – a testament to her genius at such a young age – which led to a creative outburst running for a week from late September to early October 2016 that produced most of the collection. The other pieces, which came to me sporadically from mid-October to mid-December, were also inspired by her poem. Coincidentally it took me 79 days to finish writing Red Leaves (bonus poems excluded).
The collection comprises three acts – the sections are called acts because Diane was also tremendously gifted in the arena of drama: “Red Star” (Red Roses, Red Leaves, Red Star, Blood Red, Your Smile), “Beautiful Scar” (Summer Child, Daily Bread, Stone Fox, Lyrical Kingdoms, The Storyteller), and “Life on Mars” (The Unbreakable, The Wait, Elysian Fields, Diane).
This is my first personal project and I promised myself years ago that it would be about Diane because she made me realize what role I want to play on this stage called life – there is no bigger gift a friend can give than that.
This is my way of thanking Diane – for seeing the butterfly this caterpillar could become, for teaching me to fly. I am still earning my wings but I am trying hard to get there.
Red Leaves is for anyone who has lost a loved one.
Diane, I hope you like this and we will meet again. Life goes on, but life is not the same without you.
Victoria Ip
Groundhog Day
February 2, 2017