Dear Beverly

Just stopped by

to say that your loving memory

remains here,

within my heart;

a part of me.

         Mi Amor, you remembered me.

Always.

Your tune on

this day of remembrance.

Link:  Led Zeppelin: Stairway to Heaven

There's a lady who's sure all that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows, if the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall but she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook, there's a songbird who sings,
Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get when I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who stand looking.

Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon, if we all call the tune,
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn for those who stand long,
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow, don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the May queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by, but in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go, in case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him,
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow, and did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind?

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadows taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a stairway to heaven.

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say hello.

         You remembered me.

Always.

A celebration of life.

A celebration.

No sorrow; 

no sadness.

No tears today.

Have a tune for you today … enjoy.

Link:  Justin Moore: Till My Last Day

People say I'm just a rough boy
I ain't no good for you girl
It's a dead end street, tryin' to love me
Yeah, I'll wreck your world
I can see why they're all talkin'
Lookin' back at my past
I've got a bad name, but a man can change
I'm livin' proof of that

Til my last day, til my last breath
Of everyone that can, I can love you the best
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you
All the way up, til they lay me down
Six feet under the cold hard ground
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you

Baby I might meet all my friends
Shoot the bull, have a beer or two
But you know I'll be the first one to leave
In a hurry to get to you
Somewhere deep inside your angel eyes
I found a place to rest,
Don't ever doubt that I'll be around,
And baby don't you ever forget

Til my last day, til my last breath
Of everyone that can, I can love you the best
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you
All the way up, til they lay me down
Six feet under the cold hard ground
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you
Darlin' yes I will

Til my last day, til my last breath
Of everyone that can, I can love you the best
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you
All the way up, til they lay me down
Six feet under the cold hard ground
Til my last day, I'll be lovin' you
Oh babe, til my last day

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say hello.

       You remembered me.

Always.

Yes, always.

No words.

Just sorrow.

Have a tune for you today …

“Think of me … and I’ll be there.”

Enjoy.

Link: Terry Jacks: Seasons in the Sun

Goodbye to you my trusted friend
We've known each other since we were nine or ten
Together we've climbed hills and trees
Learned of love and ABC's
Skinned our hearts and skinned our knees

Goodbye my friend it's hard to die
When all the bird's are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Pretty girls are everywhere
Think of me and I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

Goodbye Papa, please pray for me
I was the black sheep of the family
You tried to teach me right from wrong
Too much wine and too much song
Wonder how I got along

Goodbye Papa, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
Little children everywhere
When you see them I'll be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone

Goodbye Beverly, my little one
You gave me love and helped me find the sun
And every time when I was down
You would always come around
And get my feet back on the ground

Goodbye Beverly, it's hard to die
When all the birds are singing in the sky
Now that the spring is in the air
With the flowers everywhere
I wish that we could both be there

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the stars we could reach
Were just starfish on the beach

We had joy, we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the wine and the song
Like the seasons have all gone

All our lives we had fun
We had seasons in the sun
But the hills that we climbed
Were just seasons out of time

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say hello.

        You remembered me.

Always.

Waiting for the

clouds to burn off.

A nice day promised.

Need the sun to

drive away the gloom.

The sadness.

I need to celebrate

your life and

not mourn it.

It is the anger,

I know, it is

the anger 

that is with me now.

This is what I have

to get past in

the next few days.

The rage; the hurt; the anger.

No one had the

right to treat

you the way

you were treated.

Have a tune for you today

“Forever, you're a part of me
Forever, in the heart of me”

… enjoy.

Link:  Diamond Rio: I Believe

Every now and then
Soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you, come back again
And it's like, you haven't been

Gone a moment from my side
Like the tears were never cried
Like the hands of time
Were pulling you, and me

And with all my heart, I'm sure
We're closer than we ever were
I don't have to hear or see
I've got all the proof I need

There are more than angels watching
Over me.. I believe.. ohh, I believe.

Now when you die, your life goes on
It doesn't end here, when you're gone
Every soul is filled with light
It never ends, if I'm right

Our love can even reach, across-
Eternity.. I believe.. ohh, I believe.

Forever, you're a part of me
Forever, in the heart of me
I will hold you even longer
If I can..

Oh, the people who don't see the most
See that I, believe in ghosts
If that makes me crazy, then I am
Cuz I believe.. ohh, I believe..

There are more than angels watching
Over me.. I believe.. ohh, I believe.

Every now and then
Soft as breath upon my skin
I feel you, come back again..
And I believe..

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say hello.

        You remembered me.

Always.

The first phone call.

The end for the little guy 

was at hand.

The long battle was over …

the cancer had won.

The second phone call.

It came a few days later.

Funeral arrangements

had been made,

it would be on Sunday, June 3.

You were upset.

The final phone calls,

on the afternoon of June 4.

The money was gone.

You were told that with 

the battle being over,

there was no reason to stay

in Irvine any longer.

You were frantic,

only $812 per month

in SDI to live on.

You were not invited

to make the move

to San Francisco.

$150,000 gone

in just two years.

You didn’t want

to be homeless.

There was panic

in your voice.  

I said calm down,

let me think.

The money

can’t be gone,

it’s there,

let’s think about it.

You couldn’t remember.

The drugs made

everything a fog.

If … if … if …

If I knew then,

what I know now,

I would have asked

to pick you up

for lunch the next day.

That would have 

stopped everything. 

But I didn't.

If … if … if …

If I knew then,

what I know now,

I would have picked

you up and taken

you straight to the

emergency room

at the nearest hospital.

You were dying of

congestive heart failure.

The lack of oxygen 

to your brain, 

coupled with the unrelenting 

regiment of drugs 

created such confusion for you.

You didn’t know it.

No one knew it.

It was just 

sundown dementia.

It was just the booze.

 

I didn't pick you up.

If … if … if …

If I knew then,

what I know now,

I would have asked

you for your bank records. 

I would have done an audit. 

I would have sent a copy

to your brother in Las Vegas

so that he could

have done one as well.

He tried to help 

after Fran left us.

But he was blocked. 

But I didn't

I didn’t do any

of those things.  

Instead, I told you that

you were not alone

and that I loved you.  

You said you loved me too.

Let’s talk; let me think.

We said goodbye.

A minute later

the phone rang,

I answered it and you said

that you just wanted

to hear my voice

one more time.

I didn’t think anything of it.

You had done that before.

You were funny that way.

The phone rang again.

Hang up.

The phone rang again.

Hang up.

The phone rang again.

Hang up.

The phone did 

not ring again.

You then proceeded

to take control of your life.

The Seroquel.

The Keppra.

The Prozac.

The Seproxetine.

All you could find.

It haunts me still.

It hurts so much.

So much I could

have done ... 

but I didn’t.

If … if … if …

If I knew then,

what I know now,

I would be

so much smarter.

But that’s not

the way life works.

That’s my guilt.

My pain.

Others have their own.

On some days it is

so hard to celebrate a life

when the sadness overwhelms.

This is one

of those mornings.

This is one

of those days.

Have a tune for you today

“Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them”

… enjoy.

Link:  Jackson Browne: These Days

Well I've been out walking
I don't do that much talking these days
These days-
These days I seem to think a lot
About the things that I forgot to do
For you
And all the times I had the chance to

And I had a lover
It's so hard to risk another these days
These days-
Now if I seem to be afraid
To live the life I have made in song
Well it's just that I've been losing so long

I'll keep on moving
Things are bound to be improving these days
These days-
These days I sit on corner stones
And count the time in quarter tones to ten, my friend
Don't confront me with my failures
I had not forgotten them

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say hello.

        You remembered me.

Always.

Up early, beat the sun.

Much to do.

Long day.

But there is always

time to remember.

To celebrate a life.

You were never alone.

Oh sweet angel,

you were never alone.

Have a tune for you today … enjoy.

Link:  Juice Newton: Angel of the Morning

There'll be no strings to bind your hands
Not if my love can find your heart
And there's no need to take a stand
For it was I who choose to start
I see no need to take me home
I'm old enough to face the dawn

Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Just touch my cheek before you leave me
Oh my baby
Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Then slowly turn away from me

Maybe the sunlight will be dim
But it won't matter anyhow
If morning's echoes say we've sinned
Then it was what I wanted now
And if we're victims of the night
I won't be blinded by the light

Oh my baby
Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby
Just call me angel of the morning
Then slowly turn away from me

Baby baby baby

Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Just touch my cheek before you leave me
Oh my baby
Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Just touch my cheek before you leave me, baby
Just call me angel of the morning, angel
Just touch my cheek before you leave me
Oh my baby
Just call me angel of the morning, angel

Dear Beverly

Just stopped by to say

that your loving memory 

remains within my heart.

         Oh Doll, you remembered me.

Always.

These are days

of incredible sadness

That day; that sad day

… draws near.

Have a tune for you today …

“It's better to feel pain,

than nothing at all”

So true … enjoy.

Link:  The Lumineers: Stubborn Love

She'll lie and steal, and cheat, and beg you from her knees
Make you think she means it this time
She'll tear a hole in you, the one you can't repair
But I still love her, I don't really care

When we were young, oh, oh, we did enough
When it got cold, ooh, ooh, we bundled up
I can't be told, ah, ah, it can't be done

It's better to feel pain, than nothing at all
The opposite of love's indifference
So pay attention now, I'm standing on your porch screaming out
And I won't leave until you come downstairs

So keep your head up, keep your love
Keep your head up, my love

Keep your head up, my love

Keep your head up, keep your love

And I don't blame you dear for running like you did all these years
I would do the same, you'd best believe
And the highway signs say we're close but I don't read those things anymore
I never trusted my own eyes

When we were young oh, oh, we did enough
When it got cold, ooh, ooh we bundled up
I can't be told, ah, ah, it can't be done

So keep your head up, keep your love
Keep your head up, my love

Keep your head up, my love

Keep your head up, keep your love
Head up, love
Head up, love
Head up, love
Head up, love