row
row row
your boat gently now
your life is but a dream
dear Peter dear friend
down here on Earth
you reached a cul de sac in the
road we shared that took us through
such good times and for good measure
hard knock spells chewed holes in our soles
along our lnever dull pathway to Enlightenment
these days
I wonder where
you are gone now…in spirit
Grief has a particular miraculous way of turning … us … our mind’s eye into time travelers… reaching deep into ourselves in search of the red thread …heartstrings… precious and precarious connective tissue… in this case … the newest brightest
red ribbon has your name embossed upon it
fond keep sakes … ours…
dark and light memories being
fully restored for old time’s sake
the Final Act the Art of Remembering not
unlike relaxing therapeutic rounds of
Restorative Yoga
Meditative
closed eyelids let me slip sight unseen through a mighty glass darkly…into my
own interior chambers where … letting go allows our inner eye a period of
adjustment to adapt to the sounds and shapes taking place within our beings
there is within us …an all knowing eye with
a terrific lens like those in brand name cameras
mandatory to both ~ seeking Sate of the Art Clarity
Clarity
at all times
is a must see
ok
pull focus !
let’s get on with this show
LiGHTS CAMERA REACTiON
Peter ! Peter ? PETER ! where the heck are you
the weather report that morning ~
brought high winds!! when death
came to take you sailing…your
worn torn beautiful energy slipped
away peacefully since then there’s been
occasional outbursts of emotional turbulence !
understandable indeed … so you heard … and you agree …
well that’s good … I thought you would … now I’m relieved … !
Peter Wintonick Peter Peter Pumpkin
from the get go I loved your quirkiness… among the earliest of my long standing Montreal friendships … beginning way back when in the Mid 1970s
youngsters in body heart and mind… finding ourselves among other newcomers to this great city… drawn together by our own restless fingers of fate and A communal LOVE for the ART of Moving Pictures…our entry into the exhilarating world of filmmaking took place in part at Montreal’s International Cinemedia Center where you and I first met
four decades later the unexpected news of your illness hit hard…shortly thereafter the shockwaves of your passing radiating from within your family circle… shared stories of your demise…traveling the world wide web the sad news spread … truth descended… like an autumn fall forming a carpet of dark sunflower seeds in a field faraway … your bed now I imagine given your loving attraction to Van Gogh’s Sunflowers … so palpable
the process of mourning upsets many a backbone’s bent until enough peace of mind settles the grappling of new realities following an untimely death such as yours …
harsh
blows have a way of softening
even our most hard wired brainwaves …
Grief’s ignition like a spoon stirs the pot… archival footage like steam … floods the broth … recollections … misty images unfurl … funny … fabulous … both sweet and sour lumps get stuck in our throats … rusty film snippets like old fashion movies return ~ produce RERUNS rolling non stop in our heads … OMG … there’s PETER appearing alive and well !! LOOK … he’s playing up there on that vast sky blue screen… SEE … he’s dancing around … He’s waving at us … I see him right here behind my forehead … right in front of my inner eye ! did you see him … do you hear the sound track
sixteen tons and wha’do y’get
another day older and deeper in debt
St. Peter don’t you call me cuz’ I can’t go
I owe my soul to the company store …
not so anymore!!! Peter … you don’t owe a single red cent!!!!
your OATH of POVERTY is all over and done with! no more
need for worry BE HERE NOW is already cared for! dear Mira
my first REAL outing with Peter put us together in a blissful state perched within the narrow confines of a red canoe we floated merrily through dreamy mist drenched waterways in La Verendrye Provincial Park …
humming camp songs … our craft drifted merrily through lake after lake … every so often on we did with necessity … rely on the use our paddles … mostly to catch up with my sister Jane and Pete’s friend Jacques … unlike us … paddlers extraordinaire ! paddling with swiftness like coureur des bois on a Mission… oo la la… we lost sight of them often … one might wonder why we didn’t mind being left soaking wet in their wake…that’s one in a number of unspoken mysteries left unproven but true … Peter and I shared our own wacky brand of behaving … and if Peter were here now he would let loose with that giggly chortle of his … one two three … ha ha ha !!!! ah you know it too
during our fog infested weekend foray into that portion of Canada’s immense wilderness … nearing the tail end of our journey we were left utterly breathless … no no … NOT from paddling … NOT from traipsing through puddles of thick muck portaging … nope …
our senses … our creative circuits were blown sky high … wowed by nature’s artistry … lulled into a spirit of gratitude by the landscape transforming … the dense fog lifted like a theatrical curtain … exposure … cathartic … in a perfected state of awe … we witnessed a portrait of magnificent stillness expanding … crystal clear reflections in the lake’s near invisible surface … eye snatching iconic scenery … this unexpected emergence of beauty overwhelmed … humbling our hearts like no other show of its kind on Earth …
to fathom the depths of a friend such as Peter was to me too tricky a thing to describe … what made us tick talk and mutter the way we could and did … one guess might be as good as another … suffice it to say… when we were left to our own devices … without worry or concern … we spent countless hours in silence working … finding solutions to challenging problems creative and or otherwise without feeling the need to say or whisper a word … we trusted one another’s integrity … without question or debate …
Trust was the main thread in our friendship… weaving its way into and out of our many experiences… including the work we did either alone or together on so many amazing prize winning DOCUMENTARY FILMS … turned to memories now … my heart is full
so many stories will continuing being told about my chum Peter…
my words will end here … except to say this …
Peter’s gentle kindness as a man …
his beautiful MOONbeam face
still shine as bright as ever … in my eyes
a multitude of memories survive you dear Peter … your capacity for caring your ability to withstand the rigors of hard work … your successes … you generosity of mind … the time you gave to others … your helpful spirit made you an individual … marking your talents as a remarkable filmmaker … a laudable speaker writer mentor reaching out to touch the hands the hearts and souls of so many peoples lives young and old … you walked the walk along a meaningful path using your skills … sharing your gifts … now your CREATiVE wonderfully funny cutting forceful determined poetic spirit lives on …
your coat tail’s continue to fly ~ my oh my
let us all remember Peter’s
lifelong plea for Peace and Harmony …
WAKE UP
BE HERE NOW
and to finish
the love Peter gave … shared with his friends …
his beloved family … will remain BATA BATA
among the best pitter patters banging pots
in my heartstrings long as
I live
here’s to my lasting friendship with Christine Burt…Peter’s devoted friend partner wife… Mira’s Mum … our connection remains warm and fun filled as always
and will shine on brightly like the twinkling of stars in all of our eyes …
Pete has a new job … he’s now the official
DiRECTOR of Universal Special Effects
