SMALL DREAMS 

In the video French mourners
wore dark and dignified clothing
to Johnny Hallyday’s funeral
so I decided to buy a grey suit
at the black Friday sales,
knowing my sport coat unworthy
even of French disdain.

And now I’m waiting
for someone I know to die,
so that after the funeral 
wives will turn to their husbands
and enthuse over the tailored fit 
and the understated elegance
of my new grey suit.

Johnny Hallyday was sometimes called ‘the French Elvis.’ When he died in 2017, nine hundred thousand people lined the streets of Paris to catch a glimpse of his funeral procession. You can see a report on his funeral (and also the well-dressed mourners who inspired me to buy a new suit) in this clip from YouTube here. Jimmy Buffett recorded a wonderful song about Johnny Hallyday – and taking chances – on his final album; give it a listen below.

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A New Poem Every So Often
(No regular schedule right now; life gets in the way)

Joseph Neely, all rights reserved.