Sound Man
He slipped from this realm one Saturday night
as crimson June sun settled into gloam.
Battle worn warrior, valiant fight,
his long-lost family welcomed him home.
Music was his refuge, passion and love;
working with the bands, perfecting their sound.
Crisp melodies sent to heaven above
floating like healing rain, down to the ground.
Now we are drowning in torrents of tears
as rhythm of the bass drum fills the air.
Memories flood our minds and fill our ears,
his gentle voice whispers, “never despair.”
Listen to the sound man, you will soon know:
Music will wash away all your sorrow.
Colleen Keller Breuning © 2024
June 7, 2024
Hello all. It’s admittedly been a tough week. This poem is dedicated to my dear cousin Steve Crumbacker, who passed away in Maryland on June 1, 2024. The news of his death was devastating for me, as he and his sister Patsy were huge part of my earliest memories in life. Back in the early sixties, our two families shared a duplex on Concord Street in the west end of Hagerstown. Even though we only lived there until I was five years old, I can still recall many of the memories we made with my sister Barb from that time….running around in the backyards and empty lots, Steve and his best bud Roy listening to Beatles 45s on the front porch, (deeply influencing my love of music), playing in the snow, and being terrified by their stories of how Bloody Bones lived in the attic and was going to get us! Back then, he was just a normal, all-American kid having fun picking on his younger cousins – nothing nefarious, just a little ornery. *smiling*
Steve was five years older than me, and he was a man of many talents. He was a renowned Nascar photographer, a highly regarded musician, and he worked as a sound engineer with many local and regional bands over the years. He was also a cat lover like me, and just the sweetest guy you could ever hope to have for a cousin. His memorial service will be held on Monday evening. I will never forget Steve and the many childhood memories of the Keller Family we shared over the years. You are in my heart always, dear cousin. I send all my love and prayers for comfort to his wife Kim and his only sister, Patsy. I love you both so much!
Xoxo Colleen
Inspiration: “I Want to Hold Your Hand” by The Beatles
Ecrits Blogophilia Week 49.15 – Psychic
Hard Bonus: Use a lyric from The Guess Who (“Music will wash away all your sorrow.”)
Easy Bonus: Incorporate the word nefarious
Colleen Keller Breuning 