A Poets View

Bloggers Unite - World Aids Day

I wanted to talk about my friend and neighbor, Ray, who passed away about 16 years ago due to complications from AIDS.  He was 32, the sweetest guy you’d ever want to meet and worked from his home, a little cottage facing my studio as a tailor.  He made the most unique and wonderful clothes.  I was always amazed at what he could create.  He had his own line of clothing and sold them to local retail shops.We’d hang out and talk for hours on end.  One day I came home from work and he came over, knocked on my door and when I opened he was in tears.  He explained that the red neck workers who were next door had chased him with a hammer down the street.  Why? because he was gay and beginning to show signs of being ill.  He had gone next door to pick up a package that UPS had tried to deliver and he was not home.  Long story short the racists that worked there started spewing their hate towards him and eventually chased him out of there by using a hammer.  He endured this type of behavior for a very long time until I finally spoke with the owner who I had known for years and told him it better stop or I would raise hell.  Although they stopped, the looks and whispered remarks did not.

Towards the end when it became apparent Ray could no longer do anything for himself he decided to move in with his Sister in Marin.  He was ailing to a point where he had no energy whatsoever and in his frail state could barely even walk.  He had lost so much weight that you could see all his bones.  On that last day before he moved I came home from work and his Sister had packed all of his belongings and transferred them to her car.  I walked in the cottage and there was only one little cardboard box with three cans of Ensure inside.  I said “Ray, let me carry that to the car for you.” He said “No, I’ll help you with it.”  It must have only weighed about 2 pounds at most but he wanted us both to carry it together.  We both walked to the car while talking and even laughing holding that small box together.  Since he was so frail and could barely walk it must have taken about 10 minutes to walk to the curb.  We got there, we hugged for a long while and told each other that we’d see each other again soon.  Even though logically I knew we would not, somehow in that moment I had hope.  Three weeks later he was gone and I was devastated.  He meant so much to me and left this world way too soon.

I think we all have stories like this to tell.  We’ve all been touched by the tragedy of AIDS in some way and we all need to educate ourselves in how we can help.  

Thank you for reading and listening to my story.