Sinead

Sinead

Ah Sinead
why did you have to go and die
so young
so suddenly
while I was busy doing . . .
doing …
doing nothing of consequence
silly, silly, willy-nilly nothing

and why has it taken us all so long
so long
to tell you how much we loved you
not in your presence
but in your absence
(in that oh so Irish way)

emigrated
to the Great Beyond

why has it taken us so long
when you were pouring your heart out by the hour
with the power of a true Warrior Woman
telling us
telling us how much you love us
telling us the truth you know
from a place so deep
most of us
are scared shitless to go

oh, no, no, no
don’t go
please, please, please don’t go
and leave us
I dare not face the darkness without you
I care not for the starkness
you stared down by the hour

“Nothing compares 2 U. . .”

Nothing, nothing, nothing . . .
is nothingness now all I have left
Please!
Please give me just an ounce of your courage
to seek the truth
to speak the truth
Sinead of the Sorrows
Sinead of the eyes so deep
so open,
so loving,
so true
Sinead of our youth
Sinead of the Heavenly Voice
Sinead of the unadulterated truth

“Nothing compares 2 U. . .”

“The last day of our acquaintance . . .”
Why did it have to come so soon
Why did you have to go and ruin
Our comfortable indifference

You saw God in everything
beyond the cloistered walls
beyond the men in robes
beyond the preachers of doom and gloom
beyond the chalices and palaces
You took me to ‘The Healing Room’
“where I can go and spirit guides me”
beyond the Pharisees who chide me

took me to where your love shines

like a benediction

“I do not want what I haven’t got …”
But now I haven’t got you . . .

But I do, I do, I do
for you will live in me and I in you
for an eternity
as you do now
in the eternal now
and I vow to hold you dear
through all the tears of my life
my gloriously imperfect
perfect sinner
forever and ever
a winner in my eyes
let there be no tearful goodbyes
for we were just getting to know you
just learning to show you
how dearly we hold you in our hearts
Oh whisper me something, Sinead
Help me “hold back the night’
Whisper me something
Help me see the Light

Sinead I love you dearly
I love you as the day is long
To hear you sing so clearly
To hear your soul in every song

I love the little girl inside you
I love the old woman of the bog
I love the universe inside you
Your clarity above the fog

Your pain, your joy, your anger too
I love you as the night is long
Now back in the spirit world
Back where you belong

The last day of our acquaintance
Why did it have to come so soon
When we were just starting
To sing your soulful tune

Oh Magnificent Maverick
Thank you for being you

“U stand tall and u stand strong
U try ruthless compassion
For yourself and for everyone
Yeah it’s hard but it can be done.”


padraic slater
Bard from Kitsilano

“U stand tall . . .” lines from ‘Til I Whisper You Something” from ‘Faith and Courage’, released in 2000 by Atlantic Recording Corporation and WEA International Inc.