Friday, May 04, 2012

The Funeral



















As a bagpiper, I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends but he was a veteran, so the service was to be healed at Pauper's cemetery in the back country.

As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost and, being a typical man, I didn't stop for directions.

I finally found the place but an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left, and they were eating lunch.

I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down. The vault lid was already in place. But the guy was a veteran, and not knowing what else to do, I started to play.

The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends.

I played like I've never played before for this homeless man who proudly served our country.

And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept; we all wept together.

When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full.

As I opened the door to my car, I heard one of the workers say, "I ain’t never seen not’en like that afore in my life, and I've been putting in Septic Tanks for twenty years."

Apparently I'm still lost . . . it's a man thing.


With a H/T to DC

5 comments:

lotta joy said...

There's nothing like Amazing Grace on a bagpipe and during Stud's years on the F.D. we heard a lot of them. Especially while in N.Y. helping at ground zero.

I would gladly stand beside a septic tank just to hear it.

But most people think bagpipes sound like shit anyway....

(You're not the only smart ass around.)

Janie Junebug said...

Freaking hilarious. Almost as funny as my poem.

Love,
Janie Lola

NavyOne said...

Ha ha, i did not see that one coming. . .

Anonymous said...

Pipes played well are a beautiful thing. I would like to have been there to hear it.

The peace of Jesus Christ to you!

Rita said...

That's just so wrong in so many ways. But that's what I love about ya Coffey.