Forever Mourning

21 years ago my cousin Twan was taken away from this world by senseless gun violence. I don't know why and will probably never know. I remember spending time with him. He was an artist at heart. I'll never forget a portrait he did of Stevie Wonder. The likeness. The feel. The way the strokes of the pencil brought out the melodies of every Stevie Wonder song I had ever heard at the time.

And then he was gone.

His mother, my aunty Lola, has suffered this tragedy everyday since the incident. She explained to me that no one will ever truly understand what a mother goes through when they lose a child. All over the world. In the streets of poverty. On the fields of battle. This feeling is to remain deep in the hearts of families for the remainder of their lives.

You would also have to imagine the feeling I had when she asked me if, maybe, I could write a song about it. For her. To help with the healing. I took a long hard look into the night and slept on it. Thinking that this subject is so delicate it would take me a very long time to carefully compose music and write lyrics.

Well...the very next morning, over a cup of coffee...the song just spilled out of my heart. As if it had been lying dormant for the last 21 years. That same evening I sent it to her. This was her reply,

" I am so happy...that song has made me feel so much better than I have felt in many years. THANK YOU AND I LOVE YOU. LOVE "

I hope one day to record this again in a real studio. But for now, this is for my dear Aunty Lola, my cousin Twan and all mothers who have had to live with this kind of tragedy.

Musashi Lethridge

a.k.a.

your friendly cyberhood

Uncle Samurai

Forever Mourning by musashilethridge