| I
heard about Davey's passing from some folks at the Meditation center. I
had been meaning to get in touch with him. We were close friends years
ago, and he introduced me to our teacher- otherwise, my life would have
likely been even more of a mess than it was, if that's possible. And it
is, believe me. He and I had both been to some places most people
would not even want to admit exist.
I wrote a few lines that turned into
more lines. I was going to submit this to the online guestbook, but I have
a habit of sometimes offending people when no offense is intended- which
would be the last thing I'd want to do. In any case, you be the judge,
it won't bother me- only respect and love is intended to this great soul,
my friend- whom I know I'll see again and again. (I owe him.)
Davey died last week-
He was a year older than me.
I first saw him when we were wide-eyed
kids
At a pop festival amidst a quarter
million freaks,
Triple digit Texas heat, rock and
blues-
Sitting in his throne. He was Our
landmark.
A few months later stoners in the
dorms
Casually discussing the Dallas Pop
International-
And I remembered those weird blue
eyes
And crooked smile-
Turning around to look at me.
What were the odds?
Every day of his life was spent in
pain
behind a smile and a wink.
He willed his upper body back to
life,
Had a special car, even a walker-
He had almost enough will-power
To raise those dead legs.
He told me once how
he'd been paralyzed Christmas Eve
his senior year in high school
When his motorcycle wiped out.
He spent two weeks in a coma
They thought he'd surely die,
Or be totally paralyzed.
He said the Masters gave him the
choice
To go free, or come back to a broken
body
And a life of some hard choices.
----------
I met him again after I'd lost my
mind
I mean, I so invented losing it.
places that Blake couldn't imagine,
Bosch couldn't draw.
It just pulled me in.
Dude, he says, balancing his chair
on the backwheels-
you need to learn to meditate,
And I know this Enlightened guy.
At least, he says he is.
Well, is he?
Well, he says he is.
And I'm thinking,
brother, you're in worse shape than
me
Following some guy around
that says he is.
----------
Davey's obit said he was enlightened.
We used to goof about that stuff,
And then go out for super-greasy
junk food-
that taco place on Campus Corner.
Feed the black snake, we called
it-
To keep the Godman grounded.
----------
Last time I saw him I showed him
my newborn son.
Jake, says I-
meet Jake "Famous-Dead-Guy".
He did that famous double-take.
----------
My son warms up his truck,
Heads off to work with a respectful
"Seeya"
I can't complain about this boy.
Isn't that great?
I hope he doesn't have too many
complaints about me.
I take my boisterous boxer for a
walk.
He sleeps most of the day, but comes
alive
for walks in the fields behind the
new school.
He trusts me implicitly, sporadically
as only dogs do.
The sky was overcast, wry, a zen
not-sky.
I'm thinking about my friend not
being in pain
For the first time in 35 years.
And life. And its whatevers.
I thought about showing up at his
services
The next morning,
But I don't fit in well.
I don't know what to say.
So instead- I sit to meditate
And my friend's smile pulls me in... |
