A storm and two bits of news...

I’ve been away for a few days in Wales waiting for the storm to hit. It didn’t, but I heard some news that might have once concerned me but found, when I heard it, that I had no concern at all. My stomach didn’t drop, I didn’t feel I had to contact anyone; I was, at best, mildly interested and just a little annoyed.

Then, still waiting for the storm and listening to the wind and rain outside I heard that Lou had gone. It was my wife who told me. She isn’t into music and Lou Reed was never part of her world, she’s too young and from a different place. But she told me gently. So nice that she understood how I’d feel.

Lou Reed. How could he be gone? I wasn’t a number one fan but Jesus…

When I heard it struck me suddenly that if Lou could go then there was no hope for any of us. Shit it was true, we were all going to die. So to try and hold that truth back I started singing Perfect Day, but I couldn’t remember the words.

I thought: some deserve to go and don’t, and other’s don’t and do. I thought the storm’s coming tonight. I thought the wind will blow and the trees will fall, but nothing will bring Lou back and nothing can take him away so let it all crash. And then it didn’t.

And then

those black girls sang…