Michael Pool

I just learned that my friend Michael Pool, passed away this year. I’m heartbroken.

Michael Pool was a friend of mine from the early 90’s. He hosted the Thirsty Ear Poetry series at some place we called the Dead Animal Club. There were stuffed heads on the walls. Deer, boars, etc… Michael invited poets and bands to his weekly event. I was lucky enough to have been invited to perform. I had a killer ska band (Hopscotch) backing me that night because my real band bailed on me a week before the gig. It was a great night and there were over 20 people there that night.

I was so thrilled to be a part of his historic series that I wrote a song about Michael, boasting about our friendship. He was embarrassed when we performed it. Every lyric is true and he laughed at me for writing about him. He was a sweetheart of a guy and a real writer. He made these killer cassettes of recorded music that you had never heard before and just had to have. He drew the cover art and sold them for a couple of bucks when he DJ’d. I miss my friend.

I recorded this tune in 2009 when my friend John Strohmeyer called me to say the song had been stuck in his head all day. I realized that I had never recorded it, so that night I cracked open GarageBand and recorded it. It was so bad, but it had to be done. I found that awful recording tonight and tweaked the mix a bit. It’s not any better than the live performance in the early 90’s, having a tight and talented ska band playing it, but for some strange reason, it’s still a favorite song to play and I had to share this version. I’m really sad and I’m missing my friend Michael Pool.

MICHAEL POOL IS A FRIEND OF MINE
HE IS SO COOL
I HOPE HE DO NOT DIE

MICHAEL POOL IS A FRIEND OF MINE
HE IS SO FUNNY
SOMETIMES MAKES ME CRY

I HOPE THAT HE GETS
RICH AND FAMOUS
WRITING BOOKS 
THAT REALLY SHAME US

WRITE GOOD STORIES
NEVER SCARY
MAYBE SOMETIMES
NOT TOO SCARY

TALK TO PEOPLE
IN OUR PLACES
IN OUR PAPER
IN OUR FACES

I HOPE THAT HE GETS
RICH AND FAMOUS
MENTIONS US 
BUT DOESN’T NAMES US

MICHAEL POOL IS A FRIEND OF MINE
I GOT HIS PHOTO 
FROM ANOTHER TIME

MICHAEL POOL IS A FRIEND OF MINE
I GAVE HIM RECORDS 
AND GAVE HIM A RIDE
(I GAVE HIM A RIDE!)

I HOPE THAT HE GETS
RICH AND FAMOUS
WRITING BOOKS 
THAT REALLY SHAME US

WRITE GOOD STORIES
NEVER SCARY
MAYBE SOMETIMES
NOT TOO SCARY

TALK TO PEOPLE
IN OUR PLACES
IN OUR PAPER
IN OUR FACES

I HOPE THAT HE GETS 
RICH AND FAMOUS
MENTIONS US 
BUT DOESN’T NAMES US

(BAD GRAMMAR INTENTIONAL)