Oh, John Tierney

Oh, John Tierney

by Richard Naviasky

Oh, John Tierney

I didn’t know you long,

but the feelings I have for you

belong in a song.

You were light of heart and quick to laugh.

You could have had it all,

but you were in there climbing

when we saw the towers fall,

when we saw the towers fall.

We learned the job together

in the icy winter cold,

holding pushups in the slush

whenever we were told.

You made me laugh, and I made you,

and we never would complain,

while we fought exhaustion

in the icy rain,

in the icy rain.

You’d call me on the telephone

just to play guitar.

You’d sing each Bob Dylan song

you had learned so far.

We’d talk about our fires,

and hoped we had done good.

Both of us were confident

we’d done the best we could,

we’d done the best we could.

I was down there in that dust

when I got the word

from another friend of ours...

It broke me when I heard.

My heart and my stomach fell,

and so did my tears.

John Tierney left this life

at twenty-seven years,

at twenty-seven years.

Oh, John Tierney

I didn’t know you long,

but the feelings I have for you

belong in a song.

You were light of heart and quick to laugh.

You could have had it all,

but you were in there climbing

when we saw the towers fall,

when we saw the towers fall.

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This poem is written (and sometimes sung) in tribute to one of our great heroes who lost his life on 9/11/2001. You are never forgotten, my friend.