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.