“A wonderful young man by the name of Don Simmons was my right-hand person in my earliest business venture. He died all too soon, and his family requested something almost impossible for me to emotionally handle: give the eulogy. I composed this poem as a part of it … and I still refer to it at this later stage of my own life.”

I met him on the path one day
	When our two routes converged.
We walked together for a ways,
	And in awhile I urged
Him to continue on with me,
 	To find where my road went.
He thought a moment carefully,
	Then nodded his consent.

The pact formed when we both shook hands
	Proved good for both of us.
Partnership success came, and
	A friendship forged in trust.
He'd help me when at times I fell.
	I did the same for him,
As down the path we raced, pell mell,
	Ambitious, happy friends.

And, then, one summer day in June
	He said he'd have to go...
Not right away, but fairly soon,
	Just when, he didn't know.
Neither of us liked this news,
	But after that day, he
Would treat the hours like gifts to use...
	A gift he left with me.

The pain of his sad loss will pass,
	I know, eventually.
Our friendship, though, will always last
	Safe, in my memory.
And now, I'll travel without him,
	But not, I think, forever.
For up the path we'll meet again
	And, laughing, walk together.