9000 Words

Photo Credit  Scott Cain  "The three elder's Dad passed away on Tuesday At my childhood home I watched the planes at O’hare I thought of our lives moving like rivers through the air Always arriving and departing  Our moments together always charting  Towards our next occasion. For Dad and I it was in the marina On a warm summer evening in the setting sun A lakeside party together and tasty glass of rum Now eight bells are planned for you  And I am grateful you are no longer in pain But I greave for you all the same.  Your life has castaway its mooring  Leaving many hearts in the harbour mourning I wish you fair winds my friend and brother Your spirit will always sail true in my heart dear father

  Photo credit:  Michael J. Thumm sometime in 1977 my friend Neil showed me his new KISS album, Destroyer. I was blown away.   That album art was just WOW! Four bad ass dudes strait out of some outrageous syfi movie. In the scene they were leaping up atop some ruble in a triumphant pose. Behind them a burning city. Neil told me that this band KISS had vaporized Detroit with fire. Oh Wow, I thought, this music is going to be crazy awesome! Then he played the record, and wouldn't you know, I was immediately underwhelmed! I felt I was drowning in boring pop radio singing. So many words, and that ho hum everyday radio melody. The six year old critic in me could not get my head around how an album cover with such promise, could dispense something so sonically disappointing. I suppose it was my first step into appreciating how to not judge a book by its cover. When I got back home I was still day dreaming of that magnificent album art. I told my mom what I had witnessed. She im...