Waiting In A Song


Gary
Charlie

I see you through the hazed memories
of cigarette smoke and cheap wine.
Bill Withers singing Lean on Me
always brings your ghost to visit.

You are the glue that holds me
to the careless summer nights of 1972.
We rode motorcycles, toked weed
and didn’t think beyond the moment.

You were my best friend, full of mischief,
with a big heart and fierce loyalty.
We lived in a bubble we thought
life would never burst.

I don’t dwell on the last time I saw you
with an oxygen tank and hollow eyes.
Hell, we hated goodbyes…tried our best
to never say them….see you later was enough.

Besides you are always there waiting in a song
to erase the years and let me live for a while
In the hot August nights of 1972 where tomorrow
didn’t matter as much as just living in today.



©Susie Clevenger 2012


Stuart McPherson over at dVerse ~ Poets Pub had us writing about missing you. I wrote this about my husband Charlie, and his friend Gary. Charlie didn't get to spend very many years with his best friend, but it created a bond that keeps them connected even though Gary is gone. Neither of us can hear the song Lean on Me  and not think of Gary and all he meant to us. Poetics: Missing You

Also at Real Toads Mary gave us the prompt of connections to use for our inspiration to write. This fits that idea also. Charlie and Gary are forever connected. Mary's Mixed Bag ~ Connection

Comments

Claudia said…
oh dang...brought tears to my eyes..so tough losing a good friend...We lived in a bubble we thought
life would never burst.... think most of us did during our youth, thinking life would always carry us..wonderful tribute to your friend and i can relate to finding someone in the music of the together time..
Sreeja said…
This was a heartfelt write...you wrote it so well....may be these are things that add special touches to life....
Brian Miller said…
it is sad to lose friends of our childhood....and even if they were only in our lives for a bit, during that time we create so pretty intense connections...i can think of a few i havent seen in years but if we were together we could strike it up really quick....nicely done susie...
Mary said…
Very poignant, Susie. Deep 'connections' last beyond the grave; and I do know how music can trigger those memories. As young people we never think of difficulties we will encounter on the road ahead. Never think about good-byes or death. Not until much later. Until we have to.
Fireblossom said…
He looks very Jeremy Irons. You did a wonderful job of evoking a time (in the world and in your own smaller world) when it was enough to just "be here now." Sad and sweet.
Anonymous said…
so good Susie....love the way you write, it just has an open-ness and honesty...not need to fancy things up- you just say it as it is...but in doing so- you really manage to ramp up the emotion...and t read this...look at the pictures...well, that's real life right there...very very good - stu mcp
Sabio Lantz said…
a, fine tribute. In the hot summer of '72 I lost my best friend also. Still fond memories. We all had the same sideburns as your friend ! ! ;-)
Daydreamertoo said…
Aww... this is very touching. There is no mistaking how much he meant to you both.
A lovely tribute to your friend.
Anonymous said…
The idea of a song bringing a ghost to visit is something that most can relate to, but it's beautifully phrased here. Thanks. k.
James Rainsford said…
Authentic and deeply moving. A wonderful evocation of past times and a lost life, yet it possesses a haunting kind of optimism. Loved it Susie,thanks for sharing.
Teresa said…
Great tribute to your friend. It's amazing how music can so instantly take us to another time and place.
Unknown said…
Your empathy is epic as you give voice to a relationship not yours. This feels personal, heartfelt and oddly upbeat. I appreciate that. The easy path would be maudlin. You chose the one less traveled.
Scarlet said…
This is touching and a lovely tribute to a friendship that is warm and poignant until now ~

Thanks for sharing Susie ~
Sherry Blue Sky said…
What a sad and beautiful poem. You took me right back to 1972 (I was getting divorced) and the freedom of becoming who I was meant to be. It rings so true, the stanza about how men hate to say goodbye, "see you later" is good enough. Great write, Susie.
Laurie Kolp said…
It's wonderful to remember the good times and bring them to life in poetry... great piece, Susie.