Those good old days, of Santa's sleigh,
Feel different now he's gone away.
His joyful songs I used to play,
Those tapes which made my childhood gay.
Off to the chapel, on Blueberry Hill,
A winter wedding in December chill.
In that wee kilt, I felt such thrill,
And sailed to lands of pleasure filled.
My mind was flown to sunny seas
And christmas spent in balmy breeze.
I stayed up late, like the locals please,
Snapping crackers 'neath coconut trees.
That sunny year brought me a bear,
I loved that teddy, but teddy would wear.
I held in comfort his fluffy hair,
'Til time did make my teddy bare.
I long for those sweet, blissful years
As now those thoughts bring me to tears.
Life goes on, with creeping fear,
And on again, but distantly near.
Almost at once, those tapes were flipped,
Yet still, each year, more songs were ripped.
I loved to get those gistening discs,
With memories yet to reminisce.
With passing seasons I grew so tall,
And in his music, still enthralled.
The singalongs and melodies of old,
Replaced by stories forever told.
Those songs have never felt so true,
Or near to me, as I think of you.
It's hard to recall the man I knew,
Impossible to fathom why his time was slewn.
I wonder if he knows, that now,
I follow in his footsteps proud.
Bequeathing music, rhyme, and sound,
And rousing reels to play aloud.
I miss my friend, who filled my past,
With thought, and song, and happiness.
But every year, I'll raise my glass,
To that dear man from Inverness.
