Happy Birthday Joe

Happy Birthday Joe - you would have been 35 years old today. My nephew Joe passed away November 29, 1986 it was three days before his 13th birthday. Sometimes I still really miss him. I like to remember good things though. I think it was his fourth birthday that fell on a Saturday. The city of Victorville (California) had a Christmas parade and we took Joe to see the parade. I remember he watched the whole parade go by with a big smile on his face. One of the last floats had a big birthday cake with the words "Happy Birthday Jesus" written on it. Joe turned to my mother and said, "Look Grandma they made me a cake!" That was when we realised he thought the whole parade was for his birthday.



Joe's first fish. He wanted it cleaned but he didn't want anyone to kill it.

Joe spent hours riding this old tricycle around my parents carport. My mom tied a waggon onto the back so he could pull his brother Quaid around in the waggon. I have a tape of Joe and I singing Donny and Marie's song "I'm a little bit country and I'm a little bit rock and roll." I of course sang Marie's part and Joe would sing Donny's part and he would really get into it. He told me once he wanted to be an actor.

Joe on the left and another nephew Denny (Dennis) on the right. Joe was my brother Kenneth and his wife Virginia's child. Denny (he goes by Dennis now) is my brother Dennis and his wife Linda's child. Joe and Denny were very close.

Quaid on the left with his big brother Joe.

One of my favorite poems that I have written is dedicated to Joe. And here it goes....

4:00 in the morning

Sometimes the horror will wake me at 4:00 in the morning

Or it can hit while standing in the grocery line

Memories pulled from the mind of a sweet, blond curly headed boy with pale eyes

Grasping at threads of the past which slip like sand from a clutched hand

Leaving a tortured heart in the midst of sadness

I've struggled for a while wondering if I should share any of my poetry on this site. I decided I would share back ground about my poems. Though traditionally poetics don't share I always want to know the back ground and not just guess for myself. Since this is my favorite poem I decided this would be the time for sharing.

Until Next Time. . . .

Kathleen