A few days ago, songwriter Mary Garvey continued a conversation that we had begun last May when Kevin Soule died out in Willapa Bay: “I think I have a song for Kevin… The lines about not having time to do much came a while back. The others just recently. The final one as I was driving to the bank last week or so…it was like a message…whoosh… I don’t have a tune yet…sort of a shadow of it though.”
“Kevin’s Song”
By Mary Garvey
November storms becalmed in May
With search and rescue on its way
There’s not much left for me to say
Farewell farewell to thee
Not much time to say my prayers
Nor enough to set my flares
The sea has caught me unawares
Farewell farewell to thee
Farewell to my noble wife
My daughters I love more than life
A world of beauty and of strife
Farewell farewell to thee
Farewell to those I left on land
And those at sea who understand
It is not ours to command
Farewell farewell to thee
As I take my final breath
I feared not life I fear not death
I grieve for those I leave bereft
Farewell farewell to thee
Life is like a morning star
It can only shoot so far
We must take things as they are
Farewell farewell to thee
I took a moment here at work to read your daily entry, Sydney, and this one brought tears to my eyes. The lyrics are beautifully touching, thank you for sharing.
Beautifully done ?????????
Mary, beautifully done. A great tribute to Kevin and his family. You are AWESOME
Wow. It’s beautiful.
MY beautiful cousin Kevin LOVE YOU forever miss you bunches
Thanks. I hope to have a tune very soon. It sort of reminds me of the Hawaiian farewell song. I plan to put it on an upcoming cd compilation, called for those in peril on the sea, devoted to the people who stand by to save lives. Unfortunately in this case, the timing was off but the thought and effort was there.
Brought me to tears. Beautiful writing.
This is unbelievable what you have done I’m sure it will be cherished by the family
Oh my! This just reverberated throughout my whole body. What an amazing tribute and PERFECT words. Mary, you hear God’s voice.
These lyrics are powerful, and so relative to so many. GET THIS PUBLISHED!!!
Beautiful tribute and I am sure it will be a beautiful song.
What a loss this was to the entire Penninsula and thank you for an awesome tribute. I will look for c.d. with tune attatched…perhaps at 2019 Fisher Poet’s Festival in Feb.??? My condolences to wife, daughters, and parents. I graduated 1970 I.H.S. with Ernie.
Sydney….I really enjoy your columns. Especially your family history.
What a beautiful tribute for Kevin and his family. He was a great son, husband and father!! And to me a sweet loving cousin!! Thank you so much!!