Empty Garden Redux

In 1982, Elton John released "Empty Garden (Hey Hey Johnny)," a song eulogizing the late John Lennon. When I first heard about the untimely death of Larry Cummings, my colleague at NCMC and a professor there for over 50 years, for some reason my mind jumped to "Empty Garden," but with lyrics only slightly tailored to Larry, as the general narrative fit almost perfectly. In 1997, Elton modified "Candle In The Wind" with new lyrics that eulogized the late Princess Diana, so that's what I did here. If I ever had a singing voice to do Larry justice, and the ability to get through the song without crying, here's what I would offer up.

What happened here
As the Harbor sunset disappeared
I found an empty garden among the flagstones there

Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop

And now it all looks strange
It's funny how one virus can damage so much grain

And what's it for
This little empty garden by the back porch door
And in the cracks along the sidewalk nothing grows no more

Who lived here
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop

And we are so amazed, we're crippled and we're dazed
A gardener like that one, no one can replace

And I've been knocking
But no one answers
And I've been knocking
Most all the day

Oh, and I've been calling
Oh, hey hey Larry
Can't you come out to play

And through their tears
Some say he farmed his best in younger years
But he'd have said that roots grow stronger if only he could hear

Who lived there
He must have been a gardener that cared a lot
Who weeded out the tears and grew a good crop

Now we pray for rain and with every drop that falls
We hear, we hear your name

And I've been knocking
But no one answers
And I've been knocking
Most all the day

Oh, and I've been calling
Oh, hey hey Larry
Can't you come out to play

And I've been knocking
But no one answers
And I've been knocking
Most all the day

Oh, and I've been calling
Oh, hey hey Larry
Can't you come out, can't you come out to play

Larry, can't you come out to play in your empty garden
Larry, can't you come out to play in your empty garden
Larry, can't you come out to play in your empty garden

I'm sorry that this is unimaginative and hokey, but just reading it brings tears to my eyes, so it works for me. I wish I could show him, so we could both laugh about it. I'm sure he'd say "not yet, fucker," and that would be sweet to hear just one more time. Larry could play like nobody's business, and I hope he'll play on forevermore.

Comments

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