Comments on: Poem: Learn with every goodbye

By: Beth

Beth — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 22:54:20 +0000

My middle son sent this to me, through email, in 2001 when I was about to go on a date because he wanted to encourage me, he was 24 at the time. He past away in 2008, age 31, after fighting Leukemia for 21 months. I am so glad I kept that email, I now have it hanging in my hall. I love it- it has helped me in so many ways, then and every day since.

By: Jane

Jane — Wed, 18 May 2011 05:48:59 +0000

This is one of the best poems written, but not by these two! The author is unknown.

By: Alie

Alie — Thu, 31 Mar 2011 18:05:36 +0000

I fell in love with this poem maybe 20 years ago after I’d completed a disasterous marriage with an acrimonious divorce. It enlightened me of many of my confused conceptions of love and marriage. Now I tell my teenage daugher to embrace the honesty of the poem. I am delighted to learn that it is not anonymous any more!

By: John

John — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 13:00:51 +0000

This is a poem by Jorge Luis Borges translated word for word and I believe the credit should be given to him. Veronica Shoffstall is the poet who translated this poem.
Miss Shoffstall should give literary credit where it is due.

By: Nrob

Nrob — Sat, 16 Oct 2010 19:34:11 +0000

Found a way to contact Shofstall herself through a publisher a few years back (lost all the contact info, having moved, etc.) but she herself said she wrote it. I didn’t ask about the Spanish poem at that time because I didn’t know about it.

By: Swati

Swati — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 04:55:14 +0000

I think its a good choice till things are clearer

By: Annkur

Annkur — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 12:23:11 +0000

Thanks Swati, have added both names above for now. That may not be the best I can do, but thats what I have chosen to do for now.

By: Swati

Swati — Sun, 12 Sep 2010 06:07:55 +0000

I know. But surely it needn’t be unclear. Borges is a well known poet – there must be books in the library which people have access to (I don’t). Shoftstall, in a google search, doesn’t throw up anything except this one poem. So the prima facie evidence points to her being a translator only – but that, sadly, is no proof.

By: Annkur

Annkur — Fri, 10 Sep 2010 19:58:29 +0000

Wish I had an answer Swati, its the wordings that attracted me. Being a writer myself, I recognize the need for correct attribution, but then there are times when its unclear. I can be with that. Thanks

By: Swati

Swati — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 03:13:50 +0000

This poem is lovely but seems mired in controversy regarding the original poet. Some have attributed it to Judith Evans as well. I do wonder if someone can actually quote from a published work to authenticate it? Is it really is a Borges poem, with translation by Shoftstall, or it is being wrongly attributed to him in order to make it seem more important?