Stephen Kalinich: Tribute to Rod Steiger

A SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO ROD STEIGER
1925 - 2002

IT IS LIKE THAT SCENE IN THE PAWNBROKER
WHERE HE OPENS HIS MOUTH
FULL OF EMOTION
TO SCREAM OUT
AND NO WORDS COME OUT
ONLY A SILENT CRY
LOUDER THAN THE UNIVERSE.
IT IS HARD TO FIND WORDS
TO DESCRIBE
WHAT IT WAS TO BE HIS FRIEND.
THE CONCERN
THE KINDNESS-
THE SHARING-
SLEEPING OVER-
HAVING BREAKFAST AND LUNCH
GOING INTO THE STUDIO
HELPING HIM RECORD
HIS MAGNIFICENT POETRY.
HE WOULD MAKE UP
A POEM ON THE SPOT.
HE BELIEVED IN GOODNESS
THAT IS REAL-
IN FACING LIFE SQUARELY.
HIS KINDNESS WAS LEGENDARY.
HIS STRENGTH
HIS HUMOR-
HIS COURAGE
AS HE FACED
AND OVERCAME
SO MANY PROBLEMS-
HE FINALLY WAS AT PEACE
AND HAPPY-
HOW GRATEFUL HE WAS FOR LIFE-
HE TOLD ME MANY TIMES
HOW FULL OF GRATITUDE HE WAS
FOR MEETING JOAN
AT THIS TIME IN HIS LIFE-
HIS ZEST-
HIS HUNGER FOR LIVES EXPERIENCES.
HIS LOVE OF TRAVEL
AND PEOPLE.
EVERYONE I KNEW
WHOSE LIFE HE TOUCHED
WAS BETTER BECAUSE OF IT.
HE WAS A LIGHT FRIENDLY SPIRIT.
HE WOULD TEASE THE HELL OUT OF YOU
BUT IT WAS WITH LOVE
FROM HIS BIG HEART.
A HEART THAT WAS SO LARGE
HE WANTED TO EMBRACE THE WORLD.
THROUGH HIS ROLLS ON THE SCREEN
HE SHOWED US THE HUMAN CONDITION.
IT'S STRENGTHS, WEAKNESS
IT'S TRIUMPH AND IT'S GLORY.
IT'S BRUTAL DISAPPOINTMENTS
AND STAGGERING POSSIBILITIES.
HE NOT ONLY TOUCHED ME
MOVED ME
STIRRED ME
UPON THE SCREEN
BUT HE DID ALL THAT TO ME AND MORE
AS A FRIEND.
HE LOVED CHILDREN-
HE WAS FRIENDLY.
HE KNEW EVERYONE
IN EVERY SHOP
AND RESTAURANT-
HE LOVED PEOPLE
HE LOVED TO BE
WITH HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS
AND IT WAS A THRILL
TO BE INCLUDES
AND BE A PART OF HIS WORLD.
THE ESSENCE OF HIS FRIENDSHIP
OF HIS LOVE
THAT WILL NEVER END
WAS TO LIVES
IN EVERY HEARTBEAT
AND EACH PASSING SECOND-
I MISS THE FLESH AND BLOOD-
I WILL BE SADDER
BUT MY LIFE HAS BEEN
ENRICHED AND NOURISHED
BY HIS LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP.
I FEEL WARM AND THIS WILL CONTINUE
TO GROW AS LONG
AS THERE IS BREATH WITHIN ME.
SOME PEOPLE MAKE AN IMPACT
CAUSE A RIPPLE
THAT CONTINUES TO INSPIRE
AND LEAVE AN IMPRINT
UPON YOUR SOUL-
TOUCH YOUR HEART
IN SUCH A WAY
THAT YOU FEEL
CARED FOR
THAT YOU FEEL SAFE EVERY SECOND
THAT YOU FEEL LOVED.
ROD WAS THAT KIND OF A FRIEND.
HE WAS HUMAN
DOWN TO EARTH
COMPASSIONATE-
HE WAS LOVE.
WHAT ARE HIS QUALITIES?
WHAT WERE THE ONES
MOST EXPRESSED TO ME
AS A FRIEND?
HE WAS URGENT-
HE HAD COMPASSION
MUCH OF IT
WAS BORN OUT OF HIS OWN SUFFERING
AND HE TRANSCENDED IT.
HE WAS DEVOTED AS A FRIEND
UNSWERVING.
HE WOULD CALL ME UP
EXCITED
ENTHUSIASTIC LIKE A KID.
"I WANT TO READ YOU SOMETHING."
WHEN I WAS WITH HIM
HE WOULD PULL OUT
A LITTLE SCRATCH PAPER
WRITTEN BY HAND
OUT OF HIS POCKET
OR OFF THE DESK.
HE WOULD READ ME
THE POEM
THE THOUGHTS
OR THE LYRIC.
HE NEVER GAVE UP
ON HIMSELF
OR HIS FRIENDS
OR HIS PURSUITS.
HE WAS A MAN'S MAN.
HE WAS STRONG
MADE OF STEEL
BUT HE WAS ALSO A POET.
HE WAS A COMBINATION
OF QUALITIES.
HE WAS APPROACHABLE.
I FEEL FORTUNATE
TO HAVE BEEN HIS FRIEND
BECAUSE HE SHOWED ME
WHAT BEING A FRIEND MEANS.
HE AND JOAN OPENED UP
THERE HEARTS AND HOME TO ME.
WE WATCHED MOVIES TOGETHER.
THEY WERE LIKE A YOUNG COUPLE
IN LOVE.
THEY HAD FUN TOGETHER
ALIVENESS MYSTERY
SPONTANEITY.
THEY ADORED EACH OTHER.
IT WAS AN ADVENTURE
BEING WITH BOTH OF THEM..
THEY WERE
A PERFECT MATCH.
HE CAME ALIVE AGAIN.
HE WAS RECHARGED
BORN AGAIN.
TO EXPERIENCE THEIR ENERGY
WAS A WORK OF ART-
LIFTED MY SPIRIT
AND SOMETIMES CRACKED ME UP.
HE WAS A WARRIOR
A CREATOR
OF WORDS AND PHRASES.
HE WAS GRACEFUL
AND UNMOVABLE
IN HIS RESOLVE-
HE WAS A CHAMPION
OF THE POOR AND DISENFRANCHISED
THE MENTALLY ILL.
HE KNEW THE GREATEST HEIGHTS
AND THE DEPTHS.
HE ROSE UP
OUT OF ADVERSITY.
I MISS THE FLESH AND BLOOD-
THE URGENCY WITH WHICH HE LIVED
WE COULD ALL LEARN FROM IT.
HE SHOWED ME
EACH BREATH IS A GIFT
A REVELATION.
HE HAD THE CURIOSITY
AND WONDER OF A CHILD-
THE SOUL OF A POET-
THE HEART OF THE UNIVERSE
BEAT THROUGH HIS HEART.