I'll Catch Up

We all want to be remembered for
who we tried to be instead of who
we were.
James Dean,
Marilyn Monroe,
Jim Morrison;
eternal.
And me,
I wanna be remembered for
being a bastard with a heart of gold.
A bruised angel and a callus swine.
When I die I want the whiskey to flow.
I want people to remember ME and
not who they thought I was.
And at last call I want them to forget me.
But if you're going to grieve me;
grieve me at a bar with friends,
a pint and a good juke.
Grieve me when you fall in love
and reach for her hand in the dark.
Grieve me when you're at the Denny's
on Slauson and gage at 3am
after the show of a lifetime.
Grieve me at the sing-a-long to
a good punk song.
Crack a smile when he breaks your heart
and you're spinning the mixtape he gave
you on your third date.
Smoke a cigarette for me at last call
when Sinatra is spinning.
Some men were meant to live forever,
most of us will just fade away.
But when the time comes you'll crack a smile
and remember who I really used to be.
Robert Frost said:
"Nothing gold can stay."
And Johnny realized that before his time.
But I'll lift your sadness with this
stolen line;
"I've got promises to keep,
and miles to go before I sleep."
And one day,
when I get there.
I promise you,
I'll catch up.