Memories
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The Butterfly Books was a book of thoughts and memories from Beth's friends and family. It was compiled by Brian Todd and J.V.M. Many of the pieces you see below are from that book.
Why the butterflies?The following was on a card given to the Brodies after Beth died. The butterfly theme took off from there
A butterfly lights beside us like a sunbeam. And for a brief moment Its glory and beauty Belong to our world. But then it flies on again And though we wish It could have stayed We feel so lucky To have seen it. You Are the RoseThe following is a poem that Beth gave to her sister, Dawn, in 1992. We do not know the source the poem or if Beth wrote it herself.
I write to you, not as a friend, but as a watcher. I am someone who watches you, sees the mistakes you make and learns from them. Although you are idolized by many and envied from a distance, You are someone who needs to be watched. I have been watching you for a long time. Hoping to find a mistake you can't fix. And I am disappointed to find you may be perfect. The few things I've seen from here have opened my eyes and made me lean towards living life and not letting it pass me by. I have hoped to speak to you but when we are close, my words wilt and die like a rose in the winter. Your satisfaction of life is pure and simple, unlike that of some who struggle to find your perfection and become frustrated. I am one of those. I am like a tulip, seeing you across the garden, trying to sprout my petals. Your beauty has shone through like the sun on a bright day. Your smile glows and warms the room. Your eyes sparkle and light up the night like a full moon on the rise. You are the Rose! Beth Brodie 92' All About Beth
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Look on the Dark Side
by Anonymous
Right into common homes
Bears a light, diminishing within its nucleus
Illuminated secrets
Surely (obviously) rigorously recounting yesterday.
Feathers on reminiscent
Wings, helpfully alternating through
Hills, emphasizing
Hatred and sentimental
Difficulties occupy neglected emptiness
Fusing occasionally, resisting gentle ideas veering endlessly,
Mending Entanglement
Your beautiful smile and innocent mysterious sparkle in your eye will remain forever in our hearts and undoubtedly still exist somewhere beyond comprehension. We love you and miss you.
- Painfully extracted from an anonymous person's heart.
Bears a light, diminishing within its nucleus
Illuminated secrets
Surely (obviously) rigorously recounting yesterday.
Feathers on reminiscent
Wings, helpfully alternating through
Hills, emphasizing
Hatred and sentimental
Difficulties occupy neglected emptiness
Fusing occasionally, resisting gentle ideas veering endlessly,
Mending Entanglement
Your beautiful smile and innocent mysterious sparkle in your eye will remain forever in our hearts and undoubtedly still exist somewhere beyond comprehension. We love you and miss you.
- Painfully extracted from an anonymous person's heart.
The Girl Upon The Hill
by Anonymous
There lies a girl upon a hill
Who's face I see no longer,
Her life has shown
As she has grown,
That nothing was beyond her.
And so today, the sky so blue
To the sky, I look and ponder,
Is she watching us down here,
Or is she not, I wonder.
Today upon that hill I look,
A grave has now been filled,
I wish to see that small girl's face,
Who now lies, upon that hill.
Who's face I see no longer,
Her life has shown
As she has grown,
That nothing was beyond her.
And so today, the sky so blue
To the sky, I look and ponder,
Is she watching us down here,
Or is she not, I wonder.
Today upon that hill I look,
A grave has now been filled,
I wish to see that small girl's face,
Who now lies, upon that hill.
In Memory of Beth Brodie
by Ben Hodges
The following was written by Ben Hodges shortly after Beth died. His parents found it years later in his mattress support.
So young to leave, so soon like this your departure. Oh how I miss the smile that kept on being there, showing the world how much you cared. Nothing I could ever say, could bring you back to the world today. Your loveness will always be remembered in warm July and cold November.
Ben Hodges In Memory of Beth Brodie
So young to leave, so soon like this your departure. Oh how I miss the smile that kept on being there, showing the world how much you cared. Nothing I could ever say, could bring you back to the world today. Your loveness will always be remembered in warm July and cold November.
Ben Hodges In Memory of Beth Brodie
It's Too Late to Tell You
by Danielle Avery
12/1992
It’s too late to tell you how I wished we were best friends again.
Other friendships we did begin.
Until this year walking through the Pentucket High doors,
Growing from Freshmen to Sophmores.
This was the first year in many we talked deep thoughts,
about boys, the mall and what we had bought.
The day you told me who you liked,
It surprised me when you said it was Mike.
I thought then maybe we could double date,
But then it happened, your horrible fate.
I cried like a baby all through the night.
That morning I was awake to see the sun light.
I keep hoping this is a nightmare and I will awake!
Why were you the one God had to take?
Doesn't he know you should be having fun?
Or how much you meant to everyone?
As the snow falls upon the leaves,
All I have now are fond memories,
Of the 6th grade science fair
And when I slept over, Sudsy snored like a bear.
Interest in Science we kinda did lack.
Remember signing to “My boyfriends back”?
Whenever I hear that song it will be you I’m thinking of.
You were so cute, so sweet, like a tiny white dove.
In the past few weeks I haven't been able to accept this or cope.
I will be able to someday, I hope.
But I will never forget you!
Your smile, laugh and braces too.
I hope where you are you can hear what I say,
Because it’s too late to tell you how I feel today.
Love you always,
Danielle Avery
Other friendships we did begin.
Until this year walking through the Pentucket High doors,
Growing from Freshmen to Sophmores.
This was the first year in many we talked deep thoughts,
about boys, the mall and what we had bought.
The day you told me who you liked,
It surprised me when you said it was Mike.
I thought then maybe we could double date,
But then it happened, your horrible fate.
I cried like a baby all through the night.
That morning I was awake to see the sun light.
I keep hoping this is a nightmare and I will awake!
Why were you the one God had to take?
Doesn't he know you should be having fun?
Or how much you meant to everyone?
As the snow falls upon the leaves,
All I have now are fond memories,
Of the 6th grade science fair
And when I slept over, Sudsy snored like a bear.
Interest in Science we kinda did lack.
Remember signing to “My boyfriends back”?
Whenever I hear that song it will be you I’m thinking of.
You were so cute, so sweet, like a tiny white dove.
In the past few weeks I haven't been able to accept this or cope.
I will be able to someday, I hope.
But I will never forget you!
Your smile, laugh and braces too.
I hope where you are you can hear what I say,
Because it’s too late to tell you how I feel today.
Love you always,
Danielle Avery
Still Feeling the Pain
by Danielle Avery
11/1994
Beth,
It’s been 2 years to-the-day
Since it happened, your horrible fate.
I think of you everyday,
But I know there is nothing I can say.
If right now you were here,
You would see the biggest tears.
Tears of joy if you were here right now!
But you’re not, God won't allow.
Just for a moment I wish I could be,
Right here, right now, right next to me!
If you could visit for just one day,
I know exactly what I would say.
I love you, I miss you, I wish we could have been...
I wish we could have been best friends again.
Love you always,
Danielle Avery
It’s been 2 years to-the-day
Since it happened, your horrible fate.
I think of you everyday,
But I know there is nothing I can say.
If right now you were here,
You would see the biggest tears.
Tears of joy if you were here right now!
But you’re not, God won't allow.
Just for a moment I wish I could be,
Right here, right now, right next to me!
If you could visit for just one day,
I know exactly what I would say.
I love you, I miss you, I wish we could have been...
I wish we could have been best friends again.
Love you always,
Danielle Avery
In Memory of Beth Brodie: The Priority Of Life
by Joe D’Amore
6-3-09
I am wondering what you’re wondering
Wishing to know what you feel
Hoping to see you in the in the morning when its utterly quiet
When darkness is darkest and the night gives up its fight
And yields to the relentless wishes of the coming light
If there is any way I can let you know, mom, dad
I am ok
Probably even a bit better off than you
Sweetly surrounded by serenity
At peace in the light of truth and knowledge of what we’ve always suspected
That there is a whisper in our heart’s which if we listen to it
Will lead us to heaven
I’ve never grown old you know
Never reached those pinnacles of self reflection where the realization that time flies
Is captured after the fact, in a memory, when it’s too late
I’ve never had the chance to tell you that you can easily live your life in sweetness
Surrounding yourself with beautiful people, always
And becoming utterly fulfilled by being selfless – first in the service of strangers
Followed by your neighbor, your friend, your brother and sister
And then only if you have one last breath left in you- yourself.
I call this The Priority of Life
But who am I to lecture here?
I am no authority on anything other than those things I’ve gained expertise in
Through my own experience
I’ll speak freely then. Please indulge me.
This is not your inner voice
It’s me.
Your daughter, sister, friend
My time was short. You know this
Well I do too
Yet I am lucky to have learned a truth that’s been missed by many who have gone much further down the
road than I ever did.
That truth is this. I’ll reveal it to you here. Are you ready?
The greatest force on earth is love!
Please, hold your applause. Yup. I made this up myself
And even though many have heard this, and read about it in books, and dreamed about it.
And some have even held it close to them for the briefest moment
Few have actually practiced it.
Let me therefore give you a piece of advice
There is a secret to making the Priority of Life a living principle
Start by loving yourself , then the first stranger you encounter, then your neighbor, friend
Lastly, your brothers and sisters who always make it so easy for you. Don’t they?
Reverse your priorities this way and I promise you
You will know freedom like you’ve never known it before in your life as I have known it in mine.
Wishing to know what you feel
Hoping to see you in the in the morning when its utterly quiet
When darkness is darkest and the night gives up its fight
And yields to the relentless wishes of the coming light
If there is any way I can let you know, mom, dad
I am ok
Probably even a bit better off than you
Sweetly surrounded by serenity
At peace in the light of truth and knowledge of what we’ve always suspected
That there is a whisper in our heart’s which if we listen to it
Will lead us to heaven
I’ve never grown old you know
Never reached those pinnacles of self reflection where the realization that time flies
Is captured after the fact, in a memory, when it’s too late
I’ve never had the chance to tell you that you can easily live your life in sweetness
Surrounding yourself with beautiful people, always
And becoming utterly fulfilled by being selfless – first in the service of strangers
Followed by your neighbor, your friend, your brother and sister
And then only if you have one last breath left in you- yourself.
I call this The Priority of Life
But who am I to lecture here?
I am no authority on anything other than those things I’ve gained expertise in
Through my own experience
I’ll speak freely then. Please indulge me.
This is not your inner voice
It’s me.
Your daughter, sister, friend
My time was short. You know this
Well I do too
Yet I am lucky to have learned a truth that’s been missed by many who have gone much further down the
road than I ever did.
That truth is this. I’ll reveal it to you here. Are you ready?
The greatest force on earth is love!
Please, hold your applause. Yup. I made this up myself
And even though many have heard this, and read about it in books, and dreamed about it.
And some have even held it close to them for the briefest moment
Few have actually practiced it.
Let me therefore give you a piece of advice
There is a secret to making the Priority of Life a living principle
Start by loving yourself , then the first stranger you encounter, then your neighbor, friend
Lastly, your brothers and sisters who always make it so easy for you. Don’t they?
Reverse your priorities this way and I promise you
You will know freedom like you’ve never known it before in your life as I have known it in mine.
RECENT WRITINGS
Untitled
by Kevin Fitzgerald
1/6/14
To a girl I've never met
Hearing about you and the things you used to do
You've touched so many lives in a short amount of time
If only you knew how many people are here for you
Showing you so much support for a life that was ended too short
Trying to seek justice in an unjust world
You may be gone but not forgotten
You're remembered as a butterfly so spread your wings and fly
Just know the memory of you will never die
In the end we'll all meet again, but until then, always know you'll have a friend
Hearing about you and the things you used to do
You've touched so many lives in a short amount of time
If only you knew how many people are here for you
Showing you so much support for a life that was ended too short
Trying to seek justice in an unjust world
You may be gone but not forgotten
You're remembered as a butterfly so spread your wings and fly
Just know the memory of you will never die
In the end we'll all meet again, but until then, always know you'll have a friend
Untitled
by Kevin Fitzgerald
Their once was a girl in this world
she would never know the impact that she had
Her life on this earth was cut to short
feelings for her went from grief to sad
Through the good times even the bad always appreciate the people you have
Times like this we come together as one
justice will be served we are not done
For a daughter a sister and a friend we will fight this fight until the end
Kevin Fitzgerald
she would never know the impact that she had
Her life on this earth was cut to short
feelings for her went from grief to sad
Through the good times even the bad always appreciate the people you have
Times like this we come together as one
justice will be served we are not done
For a daughter a sister and a friend we will fight this fight until the end
Kevin Fitzgerald
