Mary Travers Poem Completed

Wilby, a.k.a., Bill Belew accused some of us in the club of living off what we already wrote and doing no significant current writing. That I applies to 70% of us (my guess from the lack of contributions to the Writers Talk Newsletter). Well he made me feel guilty so I finished a poem I'd started months ago when Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul, and Mary fame) passed away. I include a few snippets here (it's a two page poem).

To Mary Travers

Richard Burns Copyright April 2011

Mary, with the crystal voice,

You beside the two bearded ones.

Dedication, passion, talent, luck, ambition, your time in history

Melded to make Peter, Paul, and Mary. 

You with Peter Yarrow, the sensitive intellect,

Noel Paul Stoockey, the showy one with sound effects,

Strumming and singing,

Some tunes new, some familiar,

Harmonies honed to lean perfection. 

Practice sessions searching, rearranging,

Seven months of finding out what works,

Your group’s debut at The Bitter End,

A happening place,

Built of brick on Bleaker Street,

Greenwich Village.

That's how it starts. Here's how it ends.

Thanks for the sound of hope.

Thanks for the feeling that

“Things are pretty terrific and will even get better.”

Thanks for that fire you and Peter and Paul lit in me

And the fleeting vigor that can still pulse in my blood

When I hear truth sing.

I heard that children loved you

And you loved children.

I know many, many adults will miss you.

I can hope I won’t miss you as much.

Eight of your albums lean in original covers,

Still right next to my turntable and hi-fi.

I keep it in good repair.

Hope your writing is going well.  -rb