Denver Tribute, with my Father
As a boy, I heard John Denver on an old 8-track
in the States. Car trips were infused by John’s
melodies, not quite country, not quite rock,
not quite blues, but John, the one and only.
Sad, he lost his life, in the air, coming
to a standstill. We are here to revisit
his life in song. My Dad marvels at
a baritone duet, I revel in renditions of
‘Leaving on a Jet Plane’ sung by a woman
and ‘Thank God I’m a Country Boy’
foot-stomping, barn dancing fun!
John’s not here, but like picking up
a poetry book, the voice never dies,
the lines live in the audience’s head.
‘Country Roads’ is the encore,
taking me to childhood and Aspen snow.
September 2014, The Opera House, Wellington
Poem © Mark Pirie, 2018