Christopher Scott Gailfoil
                                   1964 - 2007


















I'm not usually moved to write anything for anyone specific, and judging strictly from what I remember of Chris, always smiling with room-brightening intensity, the tone of my little tune is far from bright, and far from fitting. Last I saw Chris was at our leaders' house signing the sleeve to a record I co-wrote. It's fair to say I knew his brother Mike much better.

I admire people like Chris, who know what they want in life and go for it. Chris was a dreamer who lived his dreams. I have always chosen to take the safer route which has never produced in me an ounce of inner calm... acceptance, yes... but never calm.
Stevie Nicks described it best,

But never have I been a blue calm sea
I have always been a storm

I was looking forward to seeing Chris again sometime in the upcoming year, him and especially Mike. Though I haven't seen either of them in more than twenty years something just spilled out of me this evening... lyrics to a song in my head in under five minutes. There was a melody when they came, but it has left me; this has always been the case... I have always had to fight for the melody. And I have not always won. But here is the song nonetheless... not as I heard it in my head, but its pale mute caricature...

"Going to Ground"

Harbingers a knockin’
Dead leaves clatter chatter down the road
Cold dead knuckles a tick tick tockin’
All of my heroes goin’ to ground
There was time green and shining
Cool pressed smooth clean linen white
But time, come a time, come a chimin’
And all of my heroes goin’ to ground
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
All of my friends are goin’ to ground

Insistence come a callin’
Layin’ to waste my palette of dream-soft dreams
It’s a thin tuft scrabble to keep from fallin’
All of my friends are goin’ to ground
Where is the time green and shining
Cool pressed smooth clean linen white?
And Time, now time, comes a chimin’
And all of my friends are goin’ to ground
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
All of my heroes goin’ to ground

Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
All of my friends are goin’ to ground
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
Swiftly unwelcome
All swiftly goin’ to ground
All of my friends are goin’ to ground
All of my heroes goin’ to ground
Everythings goin’ to ground


ELAshley
120107.105852.6

It's more than a bit disconcerting to know ones circle of friends and acquaintances have begun to shed the chrysalis, as it were... my how we dance about death...



The LORD bless and clothe him with His glory, and may He richly bless and comfort all those who have been left to carry on.