Jer and July

Has it been four years?

Well not quite, two months to go

Fishing and Camping and telling

Lies and Navy stories on the porch in Oklahoma or Kansas

Or Missouri or driving to work on the Silver Strand

Sharing the 4th at Security at NAB, cooking for the duty crew

Or working on the Kidd Stuff, VW Baja Bug

In the garage with neighborhood teens.

Discussing current events, and  life, friends and our dreams

Even the last Julys while you were  in the hospital

We shared such a closeness.

Remember when your oxygen

Got out of control and they put

You in the alzheimers ward

With cute little old ladies

Who stole your eye glasses

And hid them inside her walker

I remember how your eyes lit up

Like the 4th of July but more vibrant

You loved fireworks and you knew how excited I got

Watching the night light up

Your birthdays coming but you hated to celebrate

unless we surprised you and then you would pretend to humor me

You loved the gnome and sunshine and gag gifts (mostly from Tom and Nancy)

and of course food.

I think of you teaching me to fish, especially at Lake Morena and  camp at

Camp Pendleton campgrounds,( remember skinny dipping)

Riding through the mountains on your motorcycle and stopping

At Pine Valley for a bite to eat and also down the beach (you could ride

At Border Beach than)

We didn’t go to the desert in July though.

I am learning to be without you

But July takes me back to so many things

Like your first spaghetti dinner or how you lured me

To listen to records (you hated listening to records)

Or you scolding me about partying at Fleas (a bar we frequented)

Or you taking me and my friends to a bar and picking me up right on

Time, you didn’t dance or drink.

Sometimes you took Scott with you so  I could just kick back

You and Scott rocked out to 80’s , while I listened to

Outlaw Country.

You taught us both to shop (Scott still scolds me about not buying

Milk or eggs with the latest date)

July brings you back and I miss you like crazy.

Sometimes it seems you’re still with me.

Perhaps you are

Perhaps you are