I copied this exquisite poem off Rosie's blog (www.rosie.com) just hours after Michael Jackson's death.  I admire Ms. O'Donnell so much for her courage - she uses her voice to inform, to protest, to stand for justice, to love people.  I've been inspired by not only her writings, but her 'bloggers' (those who write in to her 'Ask Ro' section) writings.  Read fer urself.

                                         what still remains

            ~ by Rosie O'Donnell (on the death of Michael Jackson, June 2009)

after i heard he died
we went on the boat
to watch the sunset
I felt numb

nothing - empty
his life the Hollywood dream
his death it's bitter truths
lonely

the light once flowed thru him
directly from the source
a shining stream  poured out of him
never ending

few can even imagine the high of that

and the confusion it must bring
when u somehow become
what u saw in the others
who came before u

the ones who made u dream of dancing
revered him
fred astaire phoned
the boy from gary indiana

the boy who had the beauty beaten out of him
by the man who gave him life
then put him to work at 5
childhood lost

with no remember when - 2 get back 2

money cant buy it
publicists can deny it
but u must live it
ur truth

so what exactly do we mourn
 the man
the music
the myth

we all saw him suffer
as his face fell in on itself
friends and family unable to reach in
he unable to reach out

many made millions
 looking the other way
as he invited young boys to his bed
he turned into the thing he loathed

the man in the mirror
had no idea how to change his ways

"i've lived my life the lonely
a soul that cries of shame
with handicapped emotions
save me now from what still remains"

so now the crowds gather
endless tributes
 the kind of love and adoration he seemed to crave
and he is not here to feel any of it

breaks my heart in every way
for his children
for the child he was
for the dreams he tried to live up to

i turned the boat around
looking at my 2 young children
happy with the wind in their hair
salty sea spray splashing their tiny faces

a storm was moving in
there thru the clouds
a beautiful rainbow appeared
and finally i cried

compassion
forgiveness
the only way thru is thru
start with u