#31: News and a Revised Song for Dad in his passing

I almost didn't write a newsletter this week because, since my father passed, I've felt unfocused and a bit lost. I had one big crying jag but it happened in my sleep in the middle of a dream. I woke up sobbing and said to myself, "The dam broke." I had taken his death without a lot of emotion since I was ready for it, but I guess there are larger feelings going on way deep beneath my calm exterior.


Also, I took a look at the song "My Daddy's Room," which I released after we moved him into that assisted living facility. I decided to rewrite the last verse to bring the song up to date and celebrate his passing with a little humor along the way, of course.


I haven't had time to release it as a single, but I revised the video I made of the first song and included all the family photos -- and him and the cat that fell in love with him. Maybe it'll only be meaningful to my immediate family, but here ya go:


https://youtu.be/sAEG7Hg4tVA



MY DADDY'S ROOM 2

©2022 SCHALCHLIN




THE GIRLS HUNG UP THESE PICTURES OF HIS

NOW-DEPARTED WIFE

ACROSS THE ROOM HIS SHIP MATES

FROM HIS CRAZY NAVY LIFE


CHURCHES AND MY BROTHERS

FROZEN SMILES IN BLACK AND WHITE

MOM THERE IN THAT POLAROID

THE LOYAL PREACHER’S WIFE


IN MY DADDY’S ROOM


THERE'S A MENU, SOUTHERN COOKING

DEEP FRIED OKRA ON TONIGHT

DOWN THE HALLS ARE WIDOWS

HE’LL AVOID WITH ALL HIS MIGHT


THREE SCORE AND TEN YEARS

WHERE TWO HAD TRULY GROWN AS ONE

SITTING HERE AT NINETY THREE

A NEW OLD LIFE BEGUN


IN MY DADDY’S ROOM

MY DADDY’S ROOM


HE DROVE US 'CROSS THE COUNTRY

BACK WHEN I WAS BARELY FIVE

ON ROADS THAT EISENHOWER HAD JUST

BUILT FOR FOLKS TO DRIVE


HOT BALONEY SANDWICHES

MOM BUILT RIGHT IN OUR FORD

DESERT HEAT WAS NOTHING

WE’D BEEN CALLED THERE BY THE LORD


TWO YEARS ON, THE CAT LIES

NEAR HIS BARELY BREATHING CHEST

SURROUNDED BY THE FAMILY

TELLING HIM HE WAS THE BEST


NOW HE’S DREAMING OF HER

THAT SHE’S WATCHING FROM ABOVE

THE TWO OF THEM COMMUNING

BY THE POWER OF THEIR LOVE


WE WAIT AND WE WONDER WHEN HE’LL

TAKE HIS FINAL SIGH

TRYING TO CALL DIBS ON ALL HIS DRUGS

AS THEY GO BY


THINKING WHEN IT’S MY TURN

THIS IS HOW I WANT TO DIE


IN MY DADDY’S ROOM

MY DADDY’S ROOM


WE DROVE HIM DOWN TO TEXAS

WHERE MET HIS YOUNGEST KIN

LITTLE GIRLS ALL GIGGLING

AS HE WATCHES FROM HIS CHAIR




NEWS: I'm encouraging everyone to support Urban Stages, where we debuted our new "Steve and Friends" concert series. Benefit on April 25. https://www.urbanstages.org/benefit2025


NEWS: I'm honored to perform again this year for the Renewal Summit 2025. It's a fantastic day of presentations, food, drink and me! May 16.


https://www.thethreetomatoes.com/renewal2025