On Tuesday I lost my BFF, suddenly and unexpectedly.  When I wrote my last post here, Requiem for a Friend, I never guessed that I'd be doing this again six weeks later.  My two best friends are both named Mike and they both left this world in the space of 45 days.

I was going to write a piece for Mike Dutt, and I expect that I will write a lot about him in the future, but I just don't have the strength right now. Fortunately, my gifted wife wrote an ode for him and she nailed it.  If you knew my dear friend, you know how well she captured him here.

Ode to a Friend

^{_{By Susan Heiniger}}

There's an empty space at the meat counter today.

No exuberant inane chatter over chops and cutlets.

No cheerful braying laughter served with the sausage.

There's a stationary bicycle today.

A vacant seat on the bus.

A ski lift that will rise to black diamond heights with one less aging wunderkind.

One less star trek philosopher.

One less wasted-potential-boy.

One less good-hearted soul in the world.

There are friends left behind to cheer on the home team alone today.

And waitresses who will wonder...where did Mr. Wednesday morning brunch special get to?

There is a fatherless boy poised to become a man.

There is a father who hadn't prepared to bury a son.

There is a bowl still burning for you somewhere, my friend.

Godspeed, Mr. Dutt