LIFTING HER LARGE AND ASKING EYES

SARAH MARIE PACK

The title of this blog was written by the poet John Greenleaf Whittier. What follows is my inadequate attempt to write a song about my feelings about the passing of my friend Sarah Pack. She was an amazing person whose thoughts and actions and interactions swung on her true caring for other people. I believe that when people leave this path, their bodies begin to go into the world around them. Phillip Pullman's "The Amber Spyglass" said it all: that the cells and atoms of our bodies, remembering who we are, return to the sun, the sky and the sea. While she was in the hospital, Sarah told me both face-to-face and in person how much she wanted to be outside again. So I hope in a way this is true, and that she's part of the world around us now. Makes it a bit easier to think of her in the sun.

The Only Thing Missing Is The Moon
Where did you go the night is cold but I am warm
Sweet in my seat the demon driving northwards in the dark
Stars with their beats singing along my tape deck rattling
I feel your warmth so I am soft for all the cold is sharp but -
Where did you -

[chorus]

The only thing missing is the moon
Your face with the sunlight stored within
Your hands to glide the ride along
As we must go to journey on and
Where did you -

I've been riding this road so long
All I saw was the pavement ahead
The dashes turned to rivers
White and sunset red
You made us look at the stars
When the pain of the trip grew too great
You bit down with your courage
To make us swallow our shame -
Where did you -

[chorus]

The only thing missing is the moon
Your light in the night I travel through
Your laugh I miss, your eyes that kiss
As we continue on, I wish –
Where did you -

I'm not alone in the car
There are others just missing your face
The trip is long and far
We hope to come to a better place
Maybe you'll be there
Maybe we'll see you soon
For now I struggle with the question
Where did you -