EVER HAD A FRIEND DIE? I MEAN A FRIEND DIE WELL BEFORE THEIR TIME? I NEVER HAD UNTIL MY OLD FRIEND SEAN THOMPSON PASSED AWAY LAST SUNDAY FROM LEUKEMIA AT THE AGE OF 43. I HADN'T SEEN HIM IN ALMOST 10 YEARS, I THINK SINCE THE SUMMER OF 2004. I CAN'T EVEN REMEMBER WHAT WE DID THAT NIGHT BUT I KNOW WE STARTED OFF AT THE ORANGE VALVE BAR IN THE EAST VILLAGE...WE GOT DRUNK, SEAN WAS HITTING ON GIRLS IN HIS USUAL OVERBEARING MANNER. THAT IS TO SAY HIS USUAL EMBARRASSING MANNER.
HE WAS A SCRAWNY GUY... I MET HIM IN THE FALL OF 1991 WHEN HIS BAND, THE COMMON THIEVES, TORE IT UP AT A BASEMENT PARTY IN THE T.H. HOUSES AT VASSAR COLLEGE. AFTERWARDS WE TALKED ABOUT THE REPLACEMENTS AMONG OTHER BANDS. I GOT TO LIKING HIM WHEN I HEARD THE STORY OF HIM TAPING OVER THE RITUAL DE LO HABITUAL CASSETTE TO RECORD SOMETHING HE LIKED BETTER, BECAME TIGHT WITH HIM IN THE FALL OF 1993 WHEN WE BOTH LIVED IN PROVIDENCE AND WORKED AT THE BUCK-A-BOOK USED BOOK STORE (A JOB HE GOT FOR ME) AND BONDED OVER COUGH SYRUP WHICH WE DRANK TOGETHER ABOUT 5,000 TIMES. I HELPED HIM MOVE INTO HIS APARTMENT WITH THE KIDDIE FURNITURE IN SOUTH SLOPE BROOKLYN IN THE SUMMER OF 1994. I FOLDED HIM UP INSIDE A CONVERTIBLE COUCH AT A HOTEL IN ATLANTIC CITY IN 1997 WHEN WE WERE AT A FRIEND'S BACHELOR PARTY. SEAN HAD GOTTEN DRUNK AND WAS DESTROYING THE ROOM. HE NEVER DID PAY FOR ANY OF THE DAMAGE HE DID.... I SAW HIM PLAY INNUMERABLE GIGS UNDER HIS OWN NAME OR WITH HIS BAND- LONG RIVER TRAIN-HIS SOLO PROJECT/BAND THAT RECORDED 2 RECORDS FOR THE DEDICATED LABEL IN THE MID-90S. HE WAS ALSO THE TOURING GUITARIST FOR A BAND CALLED IVY AROUND THIS SAME TIME, A GIG HE WOULD QUIT TO FOCUS ON HIS OWN MATERIAL.
IN 1998 HE GOT ME ANOTHER JOB. THIS TIME WORKING THE GRAVEYARD SHIFT AT CHELSEA BILLIARDS ON 21ST STREET IN MANHATTAN. HE WORKED THE MORNING SHIFTS AND WOULD RELIEVE ME ON MONDAYS. I SAW HIM ON A REGULAR BASIS UNTIL 1999 WHEN HIS LIFE SEEMINGLY STARTED TO SPIRAL OUT OF CONTROL. I SAY SEEMINGLY BECAUSE I ONLY CAUGHT A GLIMPSE OF HIM HERE AND THERE BUT EVERY TIME I DID HE WAS JUST ABOUT AS FUCKED UP AS YOU CAN IMAGINE. BY THIS TIME HE HAD TAKEN UP WITH A NEW GIRL (OF WHICH THE LESS IS SAID THE BETTER) AND THEY EVENTUALLY MOVED TO THE WEST COAST AND...I REALLY DON'T KNOW..HE LIVED IN SEATTLE FOR A TIME AND WOULD COME BACK TO NYC TO VISIT PERIODICALLY, STAYING AT A FRIENDS HOUSE. I SAW HIM ONCE IN 2001/2002 AND THEN AGAIN THAT NIGHT IN 2004....AND THAT WAS IT.
I GOT WORD A FEW MONTHS AGO THAT HE HAD LEUKEMIA AND THE OUTLOOK WAS PRETTY BLEAK BUT IT JUST NEVER OCCURED TO ME...I'M NOT GOING TO WRITE ANYTHING CORNY HERE LIKE CALL YOUR FRIENDS AND TELL THEM YOU LOVE THEM OR ANY SIMILAR SENTIMENT. THE THING I TAKE AWAY FROM THIS IS, COUGH SYRUP IS STILL A CHEAP WAY TO GET REALLY, REALLY FUCKED UP, THE 90S WERE A GREAT DECADE TO LIVE OUT ONE'S 20S, SEAN WAS A GREAT GUITARIST AND A MUSICIAN'S MUSICIAN WHO WAS ETERNALLY UNAFRAID OF DEFENDING EVEN THE SQUAREST OF RECORDS, AND IF YOU NEVER GOT TO MEET HIM YOU MISSED OUT ON A TRUE AMERICAN ORIGINAL. THE LIKES OF WHICH THEY DON'T MAKE ANYMORE..R.I.P. SEAN...WE LOVE YOU FOREVER..
YOU MOVE LIKE A GHOST
RUINATION IN THREE DIMENSION
CROSSING THE BORDER AT
THE USUAL RATE OF ASCENSION
TRIPLE LAYERS OF FEVER BESIDE
THE INNER CORE OF A FLAME
UNTOUCHED BY HUMAN HANDS
‘TIL THE DAY
I WRITE YOUR NAME
HOURS OF DAYS WITHOUT RECALL
MOMENTS UNGUARDED SACRIFICIAL
VERSES UNSEEN
LAY MY PRAYERS AT YOUR FEET
DAYS OF EASY GRACE
FEW AND FAR BETWEEN
NIGHTS OF PERMANENT BLOOM
OUR DAYS WITHOUT RECALL
REJOICE THE END OF ANOTHER
GOLDEN AGE AND
OUR YOUTH IN FREE FALL
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