Gardens of Stone - Original by Mark Maysey

This is an original poem I wrote about 25 years ago and thought I'd try putting it to some music. Thanks for dropping by and sharing some good words. Mark


Gardens of Stone
words and music by Mark Maysey

as I was walking through a park one day
on the corner of 6th and E
I met this old man sittin' peacefully
beneath a shady tree
his shoes were nicely polished
and his clothes were neatly pressed
he wore medals on his jacket
had a bible in his vest
well I was feeling sad and lonesome
a bit tired from the day
so I just kind of sat there
with nothing much to say
then he introduced himself to me
and he gently shook my hand
he said hi my name is Joe
I'm just an ordinary man
he asked if I often came here
I replied with now and then
he said he's been here a time or two
but couldn't quite remember when
well the day was very lovely
and I had nothing more to do
so I shared in conversation
with this man I hardly knew
well we talked for what seemed hours
and the day was moving fast
then a calmness over took us
as he shifted to his past
he started talking 'bout some war
and friends he left behind
I held back tears and listened
as he opened up his mind
he said...

some had dreams of fortune
some had dreams of fame
and some dreamed of a world
where there wasn't any pain
well some of them left as men
most they left as kids
some believed in God
and some they never did
now they all have something in common
even the unknown
as they lie there together
in the gardens of stone

well as he finished speaking
I held my head and cried
and thought about my father
who proudly fought and died
and he said son I'm very sorry
I never meant to make you cry
and I'd understand quite well
if you up and said goodbye
he said there's often happy ending's
and this story has one too
for I know the one that you miss dear
is also missing you
I sat a moment in silence
and a smile crossed my face
I quickly turned to thank him
but he was gone without a trace
then I heard his voice again
he said...

some of us dreamed of fortune
some of us dreamed of fame
some of us dreamed of a world
where there wasn't any pain
well some of us left as men
but most of us left as kids
some of us believed in God
most of em never did
but now they all have something in common
even the unknown
as they lie there together
in the gardens of stone

Category:

Music

Tags:

• garden
• of
• stones
• memorial
• vietnam
• wars
• losing
• loved
• ones
• veterans
• military
• folk
• music
• peace
• love
• kindness
• giving
• caring
• sharing
• hope
• faith
• believing

[powmiadaughter1965]

As I sit hear and tears fill my eyes, I want to thank you,

My dad did not make it home he's still an MiA And athe pain and hurt of missing him never goes away. This Halloween marks 46 years the day he was captured. I was 11 and now that I have out lived him in both years and date . I still want to know his exact fate . I have placed a memorial stone for him in Arlington to try and find some peace. But knowing he does not rest there doesnt ease the pain.

[TheOriginalPoet]

my sincerest condolences for the loss of your father and I sincerely hope you have found some sort of peace in it all. I lost my mother back in the year 2000 to a brutal murder and I don't ever think I will get over it, all we can do is try to live in peace as much as possible. thank you for stopping by and feel free to visit my other channel "Maysey1". Wishing you a peaceful and pleasant holiday season. Mark

[Austenmad24]

Awesome song mark :-)

[TheOriginalPoet]

Thank you Austen, it's always great to hear from you good friend. Mark

[sevenender]

wow hammer !!!!!! greaat song bro!

[TheOriginalPoet]

Thank you good friend, I appreciate you sharing this and it's always good hearing from you.  Mark

[olddog1956]

Mark would you please repost your original version of this for me !!!!!!!! Thanks a great fan of your work.

[Maysey1]

Thank you Steffen, I'm looking forward to your visual interpretation, don't hesitate to ask me further questions about the content or share images as we move along with it. Mark

[Maysey1]

Thank you Cheyenne, I appreciate your kind words. Mark

[Maysey1]

Thank you, I appreciate you stopping by. Mark

[PPandTheGM]

came back for another listening to this great song Mark. Fantastic.

[lovegermanshepherds]

Awesome Mark. Thanks for sharing

Cheyenne

[chaitaiji2010]

oh what a great piece of art! I truly enjoyed it!

all the best chaitanya