When that last remnant of the Baha’i heroic age (1844-1921) died on 15 July 1932, Ted Kennedy, a man who would become what might very well be called the last remnant of a heroic family was five months old. (1)
(1) Fatimih Sultan was entitled "Varaqiy-i-'Ulyá" or "Greatest Holy Leaf". She was the only daughter of the Prophet-Founder of the Bahá'í Faith. Also known as Bahiyyih Khanum, she died on 15 July 1932 and Ted Kennedy was born on 22 February 1932. He died yesterday. This prose-poem will serve for me as a quasi-eulogy. I hope this short piece of writing is enjoyed by a few at this internet site.-Ron Price, George Town, Tasmania

You were in office, Ted, from
the age of thirty when I was just
beginning my own office as that
pioneer-traveller for that young
Canadian Bahá'í community....(1)

You became the third longest
serving senator and I became
the longest serving international
pioneer in Canada. But, Ted, it is
presumptuous to compare my life
to yours, but I’m going to do it....

You had back pain all your years
after ’64 and I had to deal with
bipolar disorder after ’63. You
ran off a bridge in ’69 and I ran
off the rails in ’68 due to...BPD.
Some never forgave you, Ted
and some never understood me.

You had a long history of public
service stretching until your very
death, just yesterday........Energy,
what energy you had! You’ve got
33 pages now at Wikipedia, Ted,
one of the modern literary monu-
ments and what a list of stuff, Ted!

You were the youngest of nine
children and I was just an only
child. All those schools, Ted...
how did you survive it all? It was
a miracle that you got through
your education. I could go on
and on with this comparison, this
contrast. I’m really not in your...
league, not any where near you.
Here I am at 65—had enough of
meetings, conversations, but still
have little forays into public space.

“Congratulations,” Ted, “goodonyer,”
as they say Downunder. May you live
in peace in that Land of Light, that un-
discovered country, that hole as some
call the place where those go who do
not speak any more. You did enough
talking for a dozen men in that dynasty
of Kennedys who are gone from us now.

(1) Ted Kennedy was in office since November 1962 and I was a pioneer from September 1962.

Ron Price
26 August 2009

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