Death and the Personal Pronoun

A poem inspired by a journal article about poets.

Before he left
He gave me a poem composed of every form he could find of himself
And I knew at once he would never return.

For was it not he who had lately explained the
Significance of personal pronouns in poetry?
Each slashing ‘I’ a declaration of despair
And ‘me’ the lament of the lost…

So like him to leave a suicide note
That no one else would understand.