First, I’d like to give Selma a big thanks for she deemed me worthy of such an honorable award. Thank you, my friend! I will always remember that you deserve it first.

Anyhow, I was reading her latest post, The Sound Of Time A-Passing, earlier today. For some reason, I felt a little depressed afterwards. Perhaps, because I am at the same point in life as she is now. Although, sometimes I get busy with my own life that I forget about time and how it affects my relationship with my own family. It’s not easy for me to constantly think about my family as they are on the other side of the planet and I don’t get to see them often. Maybe once every twenty years. Yep, not much. Told ya.

This past week, I have also been wrapped up with packing and cleaning and getting ready for my big move this weekend. I might not even be on here for a few days while all this transitioning takes place.

But, back to family. I can’t tell you how many times I have woken up in the middle of the night, with tears in my eyes, wondering how much time is left until my aging parents finally depart. They’re in their early 70’s now. When I left home in the mid 80’s, my dad was tough like Goodfellas. Now, it’s like I’m watching Cocoon.

Anyhow, I didn’t mean to rattle off on this topic. After all, this post is about a song I wrote. It is installment number two of my Songs about Heaven series. On this one, I’m expressing heaven in the form of the house I grew up in. Not that it is anything comparable, in the least. But when you’re a kid growing up, it is the only place you know. It is the greatest place. And it is yours. This house is where you find security. This is where your innocence comes from. In this house, you might even have your own room. This room is where you build your personal sanctuary. It’s where you carve your very own identity. Yours was probably painted with an outrageous color. It’s where you have the coolest things flaunted like trophies. Like a stereo system (mine had a turntable to boot). Posters of KISS on the wall (at least for me, this was the case). And still, after a hard days work in school or a rough play with your next-door friends outside, you always come home to mom and dad. All muddy and hungry, sometimes. Hollering as you go into your room to change… “what’s for dinner, mom?”

Yeah, that’s home, alright. And one day, I know I will be back. Just like when I was little. But this time, it will be a little different. A good kind of different. And I so look forward to it, like you wouldn’t believe.

In My House
i remember sitting on the gutter at my parents’ place
playing barefoot with the neighbors’ kids down our street
recalling days of youth as if they were just the other day
no i still can’t seem to scrub the dirt off my feet

cause in my house hangs a picture of a sunny sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

winter comes and winter goes and, uh, it always seems that way
but i swear it never gets any colder than this, no no
and time may slow and time may flow but in the end it all goes away
but when the bell begins to toll there’s nothing i would miss here

cause in my house hangs a picture of a sunny sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

i try to rest in my dreams
and the water it streams when you rest in your dreams

i remember driving my car in the pouring rain
and you were with me though i know that day you didn’t want to
my thoughts they always used to haunt me like a man insane
though the scars remain forever
may forever be with you, yeah

cause in my house hangs a picture of the morning sky
and in my house hangs a picture of yesterday waving goodbye
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon, yeah, uh huh

yes in my house hangs a picture of a diamond’s glow
and in my house hangs a picture of tomorrow saying hello
and in my house there’s an old chair that my father gave to me
and i sit there in the afternoon as i try to rest in my dreams

cause in my house
hangs a picture of you