Heavy on the Chest - Poem: Simon may be a goner but his weighing scale lives on

 

Here is Dame Ruth Rendell. I just finished her long short story DEATH NOTES from a book called MASTER DETECTIVES I bought years ago for my son Dan's birthday.

He returned the entire book to me.

Ruth Barbara Rendell, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, CBE (née Grasemann; 17 February 1930 – 2 May 2015) was an English author of thrillers and psychological murder mysteries.^[1]

Rendell is best known for creating Chief Inspector Wexford.^[2] A second string of works was a series of unrelated crime novels that explored the psychological background of criminals and their victims. This theme was developed further in a third series of novels, published under the pseudonym Barbara Vine.

SHE DIED AT AGE 85 of a series of strokes.

I wanted to see how much her book weighed. I had finished it in the Reading Room, where the fan cooled me off. 

Coming here into my Composing Room, I found a small scale of my late boyfriend Simon Baniewicz.

It still worked.

The book weighed TWO POUNDS and 10 ounces. I checked outside with Scott. 

Simon, I am so proud of your scale.

SIMON MAY BE A GONER BUT HIS WEIGHING SCALE LIVES ON

You were one of the first to send out orders to your customers on the Internet

You lived with me

You slept downstairs on Aunt Ethel's fancy couch, now at my late mother's house

And I, your - what? - partner? paramour? -

knew much about you and that family that bore you

but did not take care of you

This is one item I will keep.

And cherish.

From your forever grateful whose-it!