PALS

He was one of the sweetest men
And sharp as a razor
A smart man lives in a dumb world
Sometimes it can be unbearable
This erosion of faith in humanity
Every now and then you meet someone
who impresses
Who can pluck the truth
And tie it to other truths
And connect concepts
Like love and sorrow and penguins
And remind you of yourself
He was a writer
I was a writer
We'd trade fictitious realities
Dark absurdities and silly abnormalities
Always with a grin
Finding the humor and beauty
The funny and beautiful parts
Of a most intense pretense
I respected his opinion
He was full of praise
I came to covet his opinion
I'd send him things
As soon as they were written
That was then when
One and the other was smitten
By the work of the other's pen
We should drink beer under trees
We should write of hope and fear
And unlock mysteries
That was the plan
That didn't pan
Out there in the ether he reads
These words now
I'm sorry they're not better
It's hard to feel inspired
I hope you understand
Next time will be better
It will be much harder without you
And when we speak again
At the origins of rain
The libraries of Valhalla
I'll laugh and call you brother
They'll be no need to explain
What went right and what wrong
Just all the beauty we remember
Wrapped in a song

-DyMc