I'll be doing it Until I die (poem) by Jerry P. Bolton on AuthorsDen

I'll be doing it Until I die
by Jerry P. Bolton → (All Poetry by Jerry P. Bolton)
Wednesday, December 19, 2018 Rated "PG" by the Author.

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I came across a true article years ago and felt obliged to put it in a poem . . .
Brad Gaines grabbed Clorox A bottle of glass cleaner Tossed them into the twenty-year-old Buick Cranked 'er up and took off Headed for a cemetery Been making the same trip For many years Despite the pleas of his wife and kids to stop I'll be doing it until I die the young man said each time. These trips started twenty years ago He makes the 175-mile trip To visit a friend he never really knew But a single play on a football field Fused them together As though they were brothers Gains, a tailback for Vanderbilt Went after Chucky Mullins A safety for Mississippi Going high in the air for a pass Grimes caught him in the back And then rushed back to the Vanderbilt huddle Chucky never got back up Neck shattered Died two years later Its just football Nobody's fault Everybody agreed Even Grimes It's all part of the game, but it doesn't change the facts, you know . . . Three times a year Gaines drives from Nashville To Russelville, Alabama And to Chucky's grave simply marked Chucky, Man of Courage What drives Grimes To make this trip three times a year He says There have been times when I had to hitchhike Because I ran out of gas Had blown out tires Car broke down His wife and children And total strangers have worried about him Maybe the only one who can truly understand Is Mullins lying 'neath the ground Gaines, white kid from hoity-toity Vanderbilt Mullins, skinny black kid from nowhere town Gaines couldn't sleep after the accident No longer cared about the sport He grew upon Didn't even play his senior season He visited Mullins in the hospital It wasn't your fault Mullins told him. Mullins spirit was strong Walter Payton, Janet Jackson George Bush came to call Still Mullins was called to his spiritual home And Brad visits Plucks weeds, clean grime from the headstone Then sit down beside the grave Converses and prays Why? Because I love him To Grimes it is just that simple What will Grimes headstone read one day Man of Guilt Man of Craziness Man of Compassion Whatever it will be, somehow you just know Mullins will be glad to clean ©October 30, 2009 / Jerry Pat Bolton

Reviewed by Jane Noponen Perinacci

Reviewed on January 2, 2019

Just as in life, we give it our all. Regrets are dealt with in different ways for everyone. Thank you for this wonderful write!

Love ya!

Jane

Reviewed by La Belle Rouge Poetess Of The Heart

Reviewed on December 27, 2018

Oh my, this is a great poem. Spellbound to the end.

Reviewed by Ronald Hull

Reviewed on December 20, 2018

A great story poem, I believe, from a true story, that shows what one man's mission could be. Grimes, Gains or Gaines felt compelled to atone for what he had done. The stuff of legends.

Reminded me of the time, during practice when I was a sophomore in high school and Rick Beebe, a freshman allowed to play on our high school team, later all-conference linebacker, caught me in the middle and slammed me to the ground as I caught a lateral from the quarterback in a scrimmage. My pelvis hit the ground hard on the back and my legs went numb. I quit football as a result, not wanting to get injured or paralyzed.

Ron

Reviewed by Michael Schafer

Very touching story of feelings born out of tragedy.

Reviewed by John Herlihy

Where have you been and glad to have you back. What an interesting story this one is.

Reviewed by Sandie May Joyce (Sandie Angel)

Reviewed on December 19, 2018

A great poem about friendship that begins with sport when two people were young. A friendship like this is hard to find. Whatever the cause for the friendship - Guilt, Crazy, or Compassion - it is no doubt they were the best of friends, ever! Friendship like this with such immense dedication is most precious in this world!

Sandie

Reviewed by Ruan Mills

I love this. Always interested in a story.

My thought?

...Not 'Man of Guilt'. Gaines didn't strike the blow, so that level of guilt would make no sense.

...And I don't buy 'Man of Craziness', he was sharp enough to realise the value of life after that incident.

...So it has to be 'Man of Compassion', surely!

R xx

Reviewed by Odin odin@aflx.com

Interesting piece of association with another person's way of playing out his life. There's a simplicity of values here that is rapidly disappearing from the moral and principled part of our humanity that should be recalled and meditated. Would that more of us, all of us, were to find similar experiences to hold onto, to focus the joys and sorrows of most experiences of this nature, then remind oneself that when all is said an done, might we be fortunate to have been remembered as a little crazy, a little guilty, but to our dying breath, compassionate. A small piece of Nirvana is to had for everyone. Great sharing here, Jerry. Good to have you back typing away.