Oh Terry, oh Terry, the time’s come at last,
For rest and for solace, where troubles are past.
Where worries won’t follow, and hard days won’t stay,
And good times and laughter come visit each day.
Where the fish always bite and the skies never gray,
And the sun and the stars take their turns in their play.
A place where old troubles grow tiny and light,
And you won’t lose a wink of good sleep in the night.
Where the lakes stretch for miles and the tall birches sway,
And loved ones long-missed are moments away.
You’ll meet souls of old friends, some new ones as well,
And have grand adventures, with stories to tell.
You’ll cast out a line where the bright waters gleam,
Then sit by the fire where the stars softly beam.
There’ll be good meals to share and old movies to see,
And quiet, contented, familiar company.
You’ll tell of a buck the grandest you seen,
With antlers that twisted the top of the trees.
You’d swear that you saw him, a blink and he’d gone.
A tale for each buddy you chat with at dawn.
And up there they will learn, as we all did down here,
That smoke alarms matter and sprinklers are dear.
That a fire drill’s fun and first aid is a must,
And a good sturdy ladder’s a thing you can trust.
A place where the weight that you carried can go,
And the best parts of Terry are free now to show.
We’ll miss you, dear Terry, we’ll carry you here,
In the jokes and the sunsets, a well-timed cold beer.
And when our own path leads us drifting away,
We’ll find you near Ely, where loons call and play.
And there in that place where the bright waters gleam,
Your girls will all find you, like part of a dream.
With a chair by the fire and a plate piled up high,
And the story continues without a goodbye.
So off now you scoot, with a grin and a cheer,
To a place with no worries, no pain, and no fear.
And though you’ve gone onward, you’re never quite gone,
Your spirit will linger, like dusk before dawn.