Moments froma lifetimeofbeing
mateswithGregor:
I remember you hooking up with Sandy…I
must have been 12 (the mid 1970s, sitting in
a car with Sandy tellingme of her interest in
you); Sandy’s heart op; Rachel being born;
folk club in Collie, with Lisa, and with Zeen;
teaching trips in theSouthWest (pitchingour
tents,you,beingthe ‘oldman’, lookingafterus,
the Collie flood, the shop front); lamb chops
and rice; ‘TheBaha’i YouthSingers’; singingat
old folks’ homes (one inparticular, ahome too
far [Bridgetown?],whereweallendedup infits
of laughter and got told off bymanagement);
you singingCarrickFergus;me singing ‘If you
couldreadmymind’;endlessmusicalfiresides;
your mum and dad, and Rickles; crazy drives
up from Bunbury on workdays to record
Journey’s End in our Broadway apartment;
singingbacking vocalswithMal; you jumping
intobedwithRod and I inour Broadway flat;
yours andMal’swedding; spendingmostNew
Year’s Eves together; that fire; your ridiculous
magic show; bush dances at Summer School
and elsewhere; singalongs at Summer School;
missing you guys when we lived overseas for
12 years; seeing the choir on the Gold Coast
when I happened to be there on route from
PNG toNZ; your interest inour kids; loaning
me your toothbrush at Summer School; your
occasional thoughtless words; you moving
to Bunbury as soon as we got back to Perth
(!); pride in your studies; choir practice every
Tuesdaynight; lotsofdim sums;AustraliaDay
mornings; recording backing vocals for choir
performances; all those performances; and
more…
Howdoyoumeasurea life…?
LoveyouGregor.
FaridaTilbury
Formy “Carrickfergus”Greg:
Memories of you arewrappedup in the song,
“Carrickfergus,”which I loved tohearyousing.
“My childhooddays bringback sad reflections
Tohappy times spent so longago”
East Perth footy, cricket games at theWACA,
dim sum brunches, outbursts of song, Bryn’s
orangepanel van, sunrises atCottesloe beach,
singingatmusicalfiresidesandbycampfiresso
longago.
“I amdrunk todayand I am rarely sober
Ahandsome rover from town to town”
Always drunk with the wine of Baha’u’llah,
you roamed from town to town spreadingHis
good tidings. Memories of your smiling face
overtaking us in the safety lane racing down
toBunbury only tobe pulledover by the cops
who tagged you from their helicopter radar.
Crazy, torrential summer rainfall leading to
rivers rising inCollie that fateful teaching trip
and, of course, singing “Carrickfergus” at folk
clubsall over the south-west.
“Iwould swimover thedeepest ocean,
Thedeepest ocean tobebyyour side”
I am so thankful that I came back to Perth to
see you in 2011. You being you, you doubled
youroddsandhave fought themightybattle to
staywithusyet longer.
“Ohbut I’m sicknowandmydaysarenumbered
So comehereyeyoungmenand laymedown”
‘Abdu’l -Baha will be waiting to put his cloak
aroundyou. Until l joinyou in thenextworld,
as we continue our journey through all the
worlds of God, just know that I will love you
forever.
Zeenaxoxox
