Caitlin died 3 weeks before her ninth birthday. This is the last song I wrote for her, trying to make some sense of it all. It is, as of today, still unperformed. We had just started reading installments of "The Hobbit" as her bedtime story each night. I found the "book" she was writing about the unicorns in her toybox.

UNFINISHED STORIES
(© Al Boyce 7/29/95)

"Silently and carefully
He crept towards the cave.
The stench was overpowering,
Bilbo tried hard to be brave.
And there he saw a dragon
In his treasure trove so deep...."
Then I closed the book and said,
"Girl, it's time you went to sleep!"

CHORUS 1:
Just one more page, please
Before you close the book.
Just one more chapter Dad,
Let's have another look.
It's hard to close the cover,
and put the book away,
and leave unfinished stories
to read another day.

"Once upon a time there was
Two thousand unicorns,
But now there's only one," she wrote,
And drew a herd with horns.
"A big mean red bully
Drove them all into the sea...."
Then my daughter put her book away
And said, Dad, come play with me!

CHORUS 2: Just one more page, please
Before you close the book.
Just one more chapter Caitlin,
Let's have another look.
It's hard to close the cover,
And put the book away,
And leave unfinished stories
To read another day.

It was in the heighth of springtime
When she was almost nine.
I woke to find her in her bed
With a tummy ache, and crying.
I rushed her to the doctor
For him to take a look,
But in my girl's eighth chapter
Death had closed her book

CHORUS 3: Just one more page, please
Before you close the book.
Just one more chapter God,
Let's have another look.
It's hard to close the cover,
And put the book away,
And leave unfinished stories
To read another day.

Her story wasn't finished,
But it's moral I will tell,
Give yourself to boundless love,
And unbridled joy as well.
And hug your friends and family,
Let them know how much you care,
For you never know what page you're on
Or how long they'll be here.

CHORUS 4:
Just one more page, please
Before you close the book.
Just one more chapter,
Let's have another look.
It's hard to close the cover,
And put the book away,
And leave unfinished stories
to read another day.

Unfinished Stories © 1995 Al Boyce - All rights reserved