I Invite You to Cry (A Note about “I Know You by Heart” by Eva Cassidy)*

         I Invite You to Cry (A Note about “I Know You by Heart” by Eva Cassidy)

I hate to give you another reason to cry.
but what kind of friend would I be
if I did not share
as my mother taught me years ago?
“Share your toys, Michael.
Share with your brother”.
Long ago I shared a song that I knew would touch you
much as it touched me,
a song about losing someone forever,
someone so close
you knew their every thought.
I had you listen to “I Know You By Heart” by Eva Cassidy
and you cried.
I hear that song and think
of my brother who rode his bicycle off into the oblivion
so many, many nights ago.
I think of a few others once at my side
where now only an emptiness resides.
Ah, but songs have layers
or some of them certain do.
I invite you to revisit this song
to revisit the emotion that comes 
along for the ride.
I invite you to cry.
Go to a place of silence and peace.
Play the song when you are ready to take it all in.
Listen to something different in it this time.
Listen to the violin.
We all know that violins can cry
and this one weeps with soft murmurs
all through the song.
I had not noticed that until this blue morning.
Oh, how it blends with her mournful voice
and pulls at the memories that float within.
The emotion of the song is strong
but the emotion the violin emotes is stronger.
This morning I learned
it was not on the original track
but rather was laid after her death.
The original recording was pulled
the violin track was added
and the song released to sing anew.
The soft violin tells us it knew her well
as it once again blends its cries
with the beauty of her voice,
the bow pulled softly over the strings by her brother, Dan.

Michael Mathews

August 14 2019
9:05 AM Wednesday
By the lake near rumors of home