To Honor Ronnie Milsap

Anyone who went to the North Carolina School for the Blind between 1949 and 1962 will always say that they went to school with Ronnie Milsap, including me.  After graduation I only saw Ronnie in newspaper articles and eventually heard him on the radio.  When I saw him on stage in 1975, I was not sure he would even remember who I was, but of course he did.  We do communicate today and he is one of my most special friends.  

STAR DUST

Dedicated to Ronnie Milsap

1975

“Come on, let’s go see him--the one you said you knew!”

And I wondered if I went because I really wanted to.

Then your music drew the curtain up from all the past

As memories stood there--opened--for the world to hear at last.

You were getting started then on your climb up the ladder;

Higher … Higher… out of reach …

Seeming not to matter.

1982

“Come on let’s go  hear him sing!

Tonight he’s coming home!

But no one could go along with me;

So I went--alone.

In my mind I took the words my heart wanted to say;

How proud I am that it is YOU--a special star today.

But when I reached the building, I heard excited roars

From disappointed voices and policemen barred the doors.

I ran into the noisy crowd and pushed my way on through;

And in my hand I held a photograph

---of me--with you.

“Don’t you see I KNOW him!” 

I showed it to the guard;

But he just had a job to do

And I just made it hard.

Then, like me, the picture became lost in all the crowd;

But just as though you heard them I still spoke the words out loud.

The curtain fell on yesterday, but I knew I would be

Happy that I knew you,

When all your songs were free!

Classmates, 1962