The following is as posted on ba-filk by Tom Digby
Subject: Don't Make Me Cry Before We Start
One of the big events at Consonance was a Saturday afternoon memorial
circle for Cynthia. The moderator was Dr. James Robinson, her domestic
partner. His opening remarks included the line "Don't make me cry
before we start." That stuck in my mind, and a poem (with rhyme,
possibly to have a tune written for it later) started coming together in
my head and finally emerged during dinner break.
I wrote it down on the back of a flyer and read it at an open circle
later that night. It seemed to be well received.
It's sort of an alpha version. It may or may not change when I review
it later. I may write a tune for it, but won't get jealous if somebody
else gets to it first.
There's a shift in meter for the last line of each verse, and it seems
to want a pause before that line to make the meter work.
Don't Make Me Cry Before We Start
A singer has passed into silence
And so we are gathered today,
Rememb'ring her joys and her sorrows
In music that she loved to play.
We honor her life and her art --
Don't make me cry before we start.
The circle is constantly turning.
New voices are joining the old
In songs sung by those gone before us,
A treasure more precious than gold.
The memories tug at my heart --
Don't make me cry before we start.
And now as I gaze 'round the circle
Through eyes growing misty with tears
I think of new voices who'll join us
As circles revolve though the years
On the journey that no one can chart --
Don't make me cry before we start.
-- Tom Digby
written approx 18:00 03/04/2006
entered 07:58 03/06/2006
intro edited 20:32 03/06/2006