A Rainbow in the Dark
You said you had been
"Way beyond the universe" in one of
The last songs you recorded
And "saw things you could never tell."
Is that why the universe took you
Away so soon? Did the sign
Of the southern cross rear its ugly
Head, say "Shame on the night music,"
And cast its evil eyes on your soul?
Did it send a tarot woman
To silence your cries of "Kill the king!"
By sending a poison dagger
Straight through the heart?
If so, the universe made a bad call,
For you certainly had a lot
Left to teach us. There you were
On the stage, making us believe
We could catch the rainbow,
Telling the lost rock 'n' roll children
That you were there for them,
Telling them to stand up and shout
For their beliefs. The lost children
Of the sea made their love for you
Heard in Heaven and Hell
And everywhere in between. And still,
For one night in the city, we continue
To turn up the night in your honor.
Goodbye, oh great voice of a metal
Generation. May your sacred heart
Continue to burn in our memories
Forevermore. For now, you are
The man on the silver mountain.
You are the holy diver.
You are the light in the black.
Waiting for your disciples to join you
In the temple of the king.
Here’s another one of my least worst poems and another elegy in memory of another fallen celebrity icon I greatly admire.
For those who aren’t aware, Ronnie James Dio was a singer born in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, in 1942, who, over a career spanning 50 years, came to be known as “the Voice of Heavy Metal.” He first came to prominence in Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow, joined Black Sabbath after Ozzy left, and became a superstar in the 80s with his own band, Dio. He was well known for his fantasy-based lyrics, his signature “devil horns” gesture, and for the almost paternalistic relationship he cultivated with his fans. His death from stomach cancer at the age of 67 in May of 2010 came as a significant shock to the metal community and is still mourned to this day.
I included twenty of his song titles in this poem (21 if you count the title). Can you spot them all?
