A TRIBUTE TO ROD McKUEN
PART 3 |
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"The Man" himself - Mr. Kelly.
A Thought for Today
The most that we can do for one another is care.
Today Larry flies the flag for the male of the
species as Nan, Cathie, Sue (who's known Rod longer than all of us together), tara and
Coral share their thoughts of Rod.
- Ken, Johannesburg, December 29
I recall a day in early 1967
when an old Ironworker friend of mine from the San Francisco Bay area told me about a
young poet from California whose work I might enjoy. The next day he brought along a copy
of "Stanyan Street & Other Sorrows" for me to read and everything changed
for me - everything. I had found the voice that I'd been searching for, even though I
hadn't realized that I had been searching. I've never forgotten that day or that old
Ironworker who I loved dearly; how could you not love a guy who wrote poetry and whose
eyes misted over when he talked about his young wife? I will be eternally grateful to him
for the very special gift he gave to me on that long ago day.
But even more than that; I'll always be grateful to that young poet from California whose
work he introduced me to. A gentle giant who taught me how to express myself in words
without fear or self consciousness; who showed me that it's okay to open up your heart,
even if some hurt does manage to creep in. A guy who taught me that it's okay to cry and
to be afraid sometimes. For making my world and my life so much nicer and meaningful.
But most of all, for
more than thirty years of companionship, inspiration, love, and pleasure. During all of
those thirty plus years, I've always felt that I had a friend that I could count on to
help me over the bad times in my life, and to help make the good times even better. True,
I've never actually met him but I really didn't need to; his words and music were enough.
With love & affection,
Larry Baillie
I have written a
multitude of words in honor of Rod McKuen today. And I could probably write a million
more. Right now I am listening to "Pastures Green". It is so very beautiful. It
is a sample of what Rod has done for me in my life. He has unleashed my inner self. I may
have had the "beauty" inside. However Rod's words have encouraged me to use what
I feel to express myself.
Rod has "donated" his love of life to us all. It would be difficult to
imagine what a world would be like without him and his words and his music. I cannot
believe each time I hear them that one man alone created this beauty.
Much Love,
Nan Peden
I moved to the so called back
woods of VT back in the early 70's. From that point on until I moved to MA, I was really
out of touch with the world. I had seen Glenn Yarbrough in 1969 in San Diego, he had
planted the seed of Rod McKuen. Then in 1976 my sister in law had given me Rod's records,
The Earth and the Sea. With only these records to carry me... listening to The Day They
Built the Road ( as a four lane highway was spliting up the family farm) and Rose sung by
Glenn. Oh the memories, sad to say most unhappy.
I lent my records to a woman I worked with, but they got destroyed. She was able to get me
a copy of Listen to the Warm on CD to replace the damaged records. She felt really bad
about it but as long as she got to hear Rod's music it really didn't matter.
I guess bottom line ... what
I'm trying to say is that Rod has been there for me for a lot of years... Sorry I don't
have the gift of words that Coral , Rita, and Larry have. But Rod has always had the words
that I would like to say and that I have felt for so many years.
Love and Great Holiday Cheer
Cathie K.
Rod has been a part of my life
for 30 years. The first time I discovered him was on TV in England and I was enchanted.
Then I went to see him in concert and fell in love! Then I went to a book signing and
discovered a kindred spirit. When he came back again to England, I went to several more
book signings, met Edward, and since then we have been friends.
We may not see each
other for many years but, in the past, we have kept in touch by phone and even with months
between conversations, it as if we spoke the day before. When my marriage was breaking up,
Rod was there for me. He gave me courage, wisdom and the means of retaining my sense of
humour. When my parents died, he was there for me and, lately, when I had my heart
surgery, he was there for me. And, in between his personal love and caring, there were
always his poetry and songs as a background to my life.
I owe him so much and feel sometimes that he has done all the giving in our relationship.
He will tell you differently - but that is the man he is.
Sue Richardson
It is simple enough to
say that I owe my life to Rod McKuen. And it's true. He saved my life when in youthful
angst I felt that the world would be better off without me in it. What did I have to
offer? I was fifteen, alone, scared, and knew that there was no one in the world who could
possibly understand me or what I was feeling. Curled up on a bed, waiting for the pills to
take effect, I saw Rod's face on an album cover across the room. And then his words poured
out from the speakers. As I watched that face, and listened to those words, I suddenly no
longer felt alone. And I knew that there was at least ONE other person in the world who
knew what I was feeling.
And so he gave me the will to live.
During the 30+ years since that afternoon he has given me something even more than
life...Rod McKuen has taught me that love must be unconditional; that life isn't always
kind, but it's real; that friends are important, but they don't owe us anything. He lead
me to lilacs and a love affair with them that few would ever believe. Rod McKuen is a set
of glasses that gives me the ability to see what I have always seen, but in new ways. He
taught me how to forgive, and even how to forget. He showed me how to find places in my
heart that remain secret to everyone, and to put in those secret places the most enduring
pain and joy.
I believe that each of us searches for that soul that touches our own...and that we must
find that soul in order to become who we truly are. I'm grateful to Rod and to the forces
that led him to such a public life. How easy he made it for me, and so many others, to
find our special "soulmate".
tara
Once in a while you cross
paths with someone whom you KNOW is a part of you, perhaps a missing part, though not
always.
Like so many others I stumbled almost by accident across my first McKuen song when my dad
bought a Glenn Yarbrough album. I didn't even know at the time that the songwriter wrote
poetry! When I did discover the books I thought "Wow, this person thinks like ME,
feels like ME!" I guess loving Rod's work was a way of discovering how to love
myself, and what greater gift could any unknown friend give to me?
Through the years, though I have been a bad friend sometimes, often discarding the books
and the records for years at a time, Rod has always been there when I needed him. When I
was sad, or hurt, there were words to dry my tears. When I was in pain or angry, there was
hope, and a sense that someone else shared that pain . Somewhere along the way I
paraphrased the Twenty Third Psalm to say "My Rod and his stuff comfort me." And
they do, and will always continue to do so.
Rod is everyman, or rather the ideal that we aspire to. He speaks the words that women
long to hear and men want to say if only they knew how, or had the courage. He expresses
love in simple poignant terms, because, ultimately, (though we try to complicate it) love
is really a very simple thing. It is human beings who make it difficult, and Rod
understands that better than anyone. For those of us Earthbound, Rod gives the strength to
spread our wings and fly.
He makes us want to be more, be better, kinder, more compassionate, yet he never judges or
talks down to us. And in every line we see his own struggle to be those things, and we
understand, somewhere deep in our souls, that though we raise him unwittingly ( and
certainly unwillingly on his part) to the status of deity sometimes, he is truly one of
us. Just a man .... with an extraordinary gift and with all the depth of compassion and
love that the human heart can hold. My life is richer and more meaningful for having him a
part of it. And the journey is so much easier knowing that Rod walks alongside at every
step.
Coral Drouyn
Join me tomorrow when we'll
wrap up our tribute to Rod with some thoughts from one of his very special friends.
- Ken, Johannesburg, December 29 |
