Touched By Rory Poem by JAMES T. ADAIR

I was looking for a slow blues song
Of which I thought I knew many
I know I did but when I needed to
Just couldn't think of any

My thought turned to Trouble in Mind
and I searched Youtube to find
a version of the song
By someone I had in mind

I found Aretha and Nina Simone
Janis and some other artists less known
But somehow the search led me back
Back to the 60s did I roam

Rory Gallager, Oh my gosh
I thoght I knew my guitar players
Hendrix, Page, Clapton, Duane, Stevie Ray,
BB, Buddy, Albert and others of fame and glory
But I've been blind....I never knew of, only hearf of Rory

I went from one video to another
so enlightening to see
struck the very heart of me
and made a part of me feel happy and free
Just the way rock and blues used to be

I thought I saw so many greats and I did
but I think the best of them was hid
His story is happy and sad
And he died far too young
But he left a treasure of songs played and sung

It's amazing to me that his spirit was so alive
the way it felt to me
As his fingers danced I was amazed
at his precision and clarity bringing out
all the musical possibility, effortlessly

But he played from the heart
It was easy to see
Not to impress or for celebrity
He was just exactly where he was meant to be
Playing year after year, out of love, constantly

His legend, sitting there for others to discover
such virtuosity and joy can't be kept under cover
His playing surpasses the best I've seen
his joy and passion was like a dream
Rory hope your're jamming with your friends in fields of green