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Salute.
Like a wild rare untamed
Middlemist Red flower
With such raw and stunning eyes
Filled with such power
When I look back
I was never really ready for you
That's why I did what I had to do
But now I'm eighty-five and a regular walker
Down Regrets
Long and lonely
Memory filled Avenue
Maybe things would have been different
If I had the courage
That dared me to push on
To pursue and woo you
My walk normally starts at 25
When we first met
Dancing to Van Morrison in the rain
Drinking liquor and getting wet
Then to 33
The day I lost the real me
When I went working for that Railroad
By the sea
The fateful day
I met my second love
Mary-Lee
And left you to wither with sweetly spoken lies
I used to weave
Like magical spells
To deceive
The Doc says
I only got a day or so left
So I'm leaving this letter in my will
Along with that old Van Morrison tape
I've always kept
Which I used to play in the rain
Sitting on my porch
Thinking of us happy
Getting wet
Before I walked down
Regrets
Long and lonely
Memory filled Avenue
Crying about all the lies I told you
That I hope
I'll soon forget
I can only hope you lived a good life
Since mine's been so hard
Jimmy J
Went to Nam
And bought a bullet with a free ride to an early grave
Shelly-Anne
Bless her soul
Got run over
Going shopping with
Taylor
And that red car breaks
Broke
And there were no stopping
My Mary-Lee
Passed over two years ago
I took her up North
For one last look
At the white snow
I can always remember her crying and saying this
To this very day
**George**
**Why do we get old**
**Where everyone around has died or is dying**
**Is this part of some twisted plan**
Well
I kissed all those sad tears away and brought her home
To sit on our marble porch as it rained
Listening to Van Morrison singing about real pain
So to the end
As my writing hand starts shaking
I've written all I've got left
As a gift in that check
For life's been too hard at times
That many will never see
But your memories before I went working
For that railroad by the sea
Have always carried me
So I send this will
With all my old love
Light a candle in church for me when you get this letter and check
Whenever it arrives at night
For in two days
I'll be gone
To be just another twinkling star
Only to be seen in the twilight
Smiling from afar
For wherever God shines his light
No matter that we're over my baby blue
A part of me will always belong to you
(C)
Copyright John Duffy
Image shared under fair usage policy via Pinterest.
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