Out on a copper sea

We went to Mark Barauck's memorial service tonight, at White Street Pier, along with many hundreds of others.

Lovers, partners, friends, family and associates told of broken hearts, and Steve Torrence, at the center in the picture above, said the Kaddish. Sweet guy and former MCC minister and current KWPD sergeant and all, he's still a goy, and called it a kiddush.

But no matter. Bruce Moore sang Mark's favorite song, "I Am What I Am," and Julia Nixon sang "And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going," and Jean-Claude spoke, and Lura spoke, and Mark's sister spoke, and Debra, standing next to me, needed a Kleenex when I did.

So we all took fistfuls of rose petals and tossed them into the sea.

We were on our way back down the pier, to go to La Te Da for a drink, and just behind us were Richard from Blue Heaven and the divine drummer Skipper Kripitz.

The sun was just going down. "That's Mark's sunset," said Skipper. And we all looked left and said our own blessings.