Kelley's Bones

By Brenda Sutton

In Memory of DeForest Kelley (1920-1999)

Editor's Note: Brenda wrote this song on July 11, the night Deforest Kelley passed away, and performed it at the Atlanta house-filk the next evening. The tune is original, and in an old fashioned gospel hymn style.

    Oh, the sun has set on my old Southern Bones,
    I am dead, Jim, and never more to roam.
    They have buried me 'neath my Georgia clay of home.
    Now I'll follow you into the Great Unknown.

I was just a country doctor past my prime and out of place
Like my Daddy and my Daddy's Daddy too.
But I hung my shingle out on the cold, daunting wall of space
When I signed up to go traipsing off with you.

    Oh, the sun has set on my old Southern Bones,
    I am dead, Jim, and never more to roam.
    They have buried me 'neath my Georgia clay of home.
    Now I'll follow you into the Great Unknown.

I, who never had a brother, knew two brothers in my soul,
A triangle of heart and hand and mind.
And now two of us have flown where every man will someday go,
This time we left old Pointy Ears behind.

    Oh, the sun has set on my old Southern Bones,
    I am dead, Jim, and never more to roam.
    They have buried me 'neath my Georgia clay of home.
    Now I'll follow you into the Great Unknown.

I have one or two regrets in life, of fears I could not face,
Things I tried to say said badly or held dear.
I was never scared of dying, only living without grace,
So I'll say "I love you" now when you can't hear.

    Oh, the sun has set on my old Southern Bones,
    I am dead, Jim, and never more to roam.
    They have buried me 'neath my Georgia clay of home.
    Now I'll follow you into the Great Unknown.

By day, Brenda Sutton is a webmistress for a corperate intranet. By night, she is a writer, editor, singer, songwriter, musician, and half of the Celtic duo Bed and Breakfast. You can email Brenda, or visit her webpage.