Indian Memorial on Death
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
I am a thousand winds that blow.
I am the diamond glint on snow.
I am the sunlight on ripened grain.
I am the autumn rain.
When you awake in the morning hush,
I am the swift uplifting rush
Of birds circling in flight.
I am the stars that shine at night.
Do not stand at my grave and weep.
I am not there.
I do not sleep.
Thank you for your friendship and love to my son.
For those that know me, for those that knew Chris, thank you. Without
your kind words, poems, and prayers I would not have made it through these last few days.
I have a family and friends so large that they could fill a stadium, but I always came
back to my email and to Asylums Memorial Page on the internet to help me breathe
when I could not catch my breath. I would sit and read over and over the wonderful
things that were said about him and the wonderful things he accomplished, I would read the
concern, the sadness, the utmost love and cry, tears streaming down my cheeks, wishing
that I could hold my son and kiss his face and tell him how proud I was of him just one
more time. I sit at the computer, in the same chair he sat in, feeling his strength,
seeing his face, and wondering what went wrong, why did he have to die, why did God feel
that it was his time, why was he in the wrong place at the wrong time, why couldn't he
have been sitting in his chair talking to Kieli or Drak, or Nettie, Aslan, DieWolfe,
laughing, instead of being out there in real life in that car traveling so fast, did he
have a good time, did he enjoy the concert, did he play his guitar that he took with him,
does he miss me. Oh God in Heaven WHY? What went through his mind when the car went out of
control, the time before it hit the tree, the seconds before he hit his head, was
he afraid, did he cry for me, did he ask for my help, or did he just go so quickly that he
didn't have time to think. As I looked down on his body, messing up his hair that they had
so neatly put into place, touching his face, I had to look closer for I thought I saw
tears in his eyes, if it were, were they tears of pain, tears of loss, tears of missing
all of us, tears of loosing his life, life that he held so dear, on second look, there
were no tears, just mine falling on his face. Oh how I will miss my beautiful son, twenty
three years, seeing him everyday, a week here and there missing out of a year, but
he was always here, laughing, joking, yelling, doing the things he needed to do. I
want to say goodbye for now, I will not be chatting until I can smile with others, on IRC
it is necessary to be able to laugh and have an open mind, but for now, I cannot. I need
this time to grieve and to put our lives, my son and mine, back together again. Chris'
father will need my support now as well, I will help him get to know the part of Chris
that he missed getting to know because of our divorce. Once again thank you. Peace and
Happiness, Love, Diane
Duchess/Diane (Asylum's mom)
The days seem endless and the nights sleepless without Chris. The constant thoughts I have
of him are with me always. He is my everything… He cheered me up when I was down, and
laughed with me when I was happy. There was not one thing that Chris didn’t
know about me and I about him.. we shared everything.. what we said to each other was
always important in each other’s eyes. He is the most caring and thoughtful person I
know. His jokes made me laugh and his poems and thoughts made me understand myself and him
so much etter. Chris is alive in my heart, and his spirit with all of us. I love him
dearly and will always love him. He will always be with me in whatever I do.. the reason I
go on, he is my strength and one day we will be together again. I
hope with everything in me that he is happy where he is right now, and is looking down
realizing how many people love and care for him, and how much he is going to be missed.
With all my love in hope that it comforts everyone here and especially
his Mom and family.. I love you Chris, always
and forever.. with all my heart....
Kieli/Phish
Often in the illustrious #vampcafe many of
us fantastically proclaimed our immortality and power over our own humanity. The online
experience is supposed to be one of fantasy, of vicarious life and dreams, but
occasionally one makes contacts that transcend the unreality and become true real to life
friends. IRC, chat BSS and electronic media have been my domain for most of my adult life
and in that time I have known more people virtually than perhaps in reality. I have
learned to guard my true feelings and vulnerabilities well. I can count the people that
might truly know me as I know them on a single hand. Even more so now as one of these has
left us.
In these past three years seldom did a week pass when I did not
speak with Asy. Over that time we discussed nearly everything it seems. From love and
religion to women and the horribly flawed system of capitalism. Nearly always when the
late hours would come he was one of the people there to lurk with. Often he would hit me
up for technical advice, but some of my best memories of him and IRC in total would be of
late night flood and nuke perfection sessions with unsuspecting beta tester's.
Those of us which truly knew Chris and his story are also aware
he was not a saint or selfless man. Even in these facts I can say with all my heart that
what endeared him to me as a close friend was his honesty with his own life, his constant
concern and ministrations to those he cared for and wished to help and serve, and mostly
his humanity. As his passing causes me to examine my own perception of myself, it is my
hope that I can be seen as half the success and with the love I have seen offered to my
friend in these days.
God bless his immortal soul.
Randy (XrandX-Aslan)
Where fall the tears of love the rose
appears,
And when the ground is bright with friendship's tears,
Forget-me-nots, violets, heavenly blue,
Spring glittering with the cheerful drops like dew.
Author -unknown Submitted by NETTY
When shade passes over a light loved so
dearly
Aglow with happiness then we see things so clearly
this friend we have lost A comrade, a brother
A Soul of sparkle,
In this world, quite unlike no other
His humor, his joy, filled us all with gladness
but in his unseen departure, we feel only sadness
And as the tears flow wet warmth on cheek
I know he would not want our spirits to be weak
As for many he was but a voice a message among many
his spirit was strong and he would not expect lesser of any
So as his body resting in this world doth end
His spirit lives on in us
The joker
The poet
The charmer
Christopher, Our friend.
Submitted by NUTZ
What do you do when your brother dies
What do you do when you touch his hand
And it's cold
What do you do when your spirit cries
What do you do when you walk from the grave
And feel old
Do you scream, do you cry
Do you hate, or say goodbye
What do you do
When you can't believe it's true
When you can't believe it's happened
To you
What do you do when your friends say
It'll be okay
But you never quite get over
He's gone
What do you do when your brother dies
What do you do when you touch his hand
And it's cold
Submitted by Goth
Sometimes it's just our time,
Sometimes, we can't forget,
Sometimes we there's nothing more to do,
Than remember and regret,
Sometimes, there are no second times,
Sometimes, no thorns are on the rose,
Sometimes, we have our impossible dreams,
For which our life blood flows,
Sometimes, we miss, sometimes, we mourn
Sometimes, we heal, sometimes, we're torn,
Sometimes, the dreamer must not fear,
For his hopes remain forever dear,
Sometimes, the darkest stars can brightly shine,
And sometimes, it's just our time.
To a friend and a brother,
We love you and we will miss you, Chris.
Nick DeSimone aka Caine
9-22-97
Life as I know it has ceased to exist.
The me of yesterday has vanished forever.
A thief came in the night,
And stole a precious gift.
This gift so rare and beautiful...
Was my friend.
A young man who brought us all wonderful things.
He gave us smiles, laughter, love and tears.
Even in my darkest hours, he could always find
Something to make me laugh.
Our days and nights will never be quite the same
Without you in them, Chris.
But you live on in our hearts, carried always with love.
Sapphyre
A friend a dear dear friend.....a soulmate...a listener...a
comforter. ...one who always put me first......
Once my lover now my friend,
what a cruel thing to pretend ~Fiona Apple
Always Friends
I will miss more than I ever had, I wish we
had a chance to set things strait but all I can do is say I am sorry for everything and
know we are ok. So many words and thoughts go thru my head with you. Since the time we
were no longer ~together~ we pretty much fought, but you were still always there for me
and knew me the best of anybody I have ever opened up to. You got me to open up and
understand myself. I will always love you for that and for all those other reasons we
always talked about. You still have my love. The poems you wrote me are forever engraved
into my soul as are the one I wrote you. Words unspoken and feelings left unresolved I
will never ever forget those words you spoke to me and you will still always have my
heart. I love you forever and never a day will go by when I don't live the way you taught
me to I'll end the way we always did
Always is forever.....I love you always
Forever your EternalRose
You were always there for me Chris... you helped me through a lot.. and
meant more to me than most. I wish I had the chance to know you even better than I already
did....I know what you'd be thinking now... You taught me a lot, and I won't ever forget
the things you said to me. The memories we shared will live in my heart forever, and I
will think of you often.
~Rainbow~
Chris and I had a rocky friendship, but no matter how bad things got I
owe my now happy life to him. He's responsible for my meeting Elizabeth,my wife. He was a
good person and although we couldn't get along in the final year I still send out my
prayers to his family and hope that from this tragedy those who knew him can find the
peace of mind to go on, and grow
.
--Michael AKA Martyr--
A Tribute to: A sigh.
If ever there were a heart more princely nature,
Of more noble stature,
I have not known it.
Grief wracked faces,
That span the nations,
Paint his portrait well.
He will never within these circles,Ever be forgotten.
The pride I take in having known Chris I cannot express. He was a friend, a compatriot,
and companion in irrationality, he was in some sense of the word, but most definitely in
my heart a brother to me. Though I deem it unlikely he ever knew. Present during the some
of the most difficult passages of my life, he held the ladder as I climbed down from my
precarious perches. I loved him perhaps more than he would ever have known, and I cherish
his memory. Oft we shared laughter, in as wild rompings as absurdity would allow, forays
into nonsense...
And still other times together we shed tears.
Jeffrey/DieWoelfe
Chris was always there to fend off the nick stealers and to joke with.He
always had a great sense of humor and a kind heart. He'll be missed within the Cafe as
well in all our hearts. He was part of what made me me. Never to be forgotten and never to
be unloved. Chris was the AsYLuM
we all wished we could be.
Aaron, Shadow
A prayer of strength for Duchess
When the poor and the
needy seek water,
and there is none,
And their tongue is
parched with thirst,
I the Lord will answer
them,
I the God of Isreal will
not forsake them.
I will open rivers on the
bare heights,
And fountains in the midst
of the valleys;
I will make the wilderness
a pool of water,
and the dry land springs
of water.
I will put in the
wilderness the cedar,
The acacia, the myrtle,
and the olive;
I will set in the desert
the cypress,
The plane and the pine
together;
that men may see and know,
may consider and
understand together,
that the hand of the Lord
has done this,
the Holy One of Isreal has
created it.
from ISAIAH 41:17-20
From MarkAS
When I must leave you for a little while
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
And hug your sorrow to you through the years
But start out bravely with gallant smile
For my sake and in my name live on and do all the things the same Feed not your loneliness
on empty day. But fill each waking hours in a useful way reach out your hand in comfort
and cheer
and I in turn will comfort you and hold you near and never never be afraid to die.
For I am waiting for you in the sky.
MY GRIEF
Rainbows lit up the sky when he smiled
But now my skies are gray
My world has now turned dreary and drab
Now that he's gone away
The wind wailed my anguish late last night
The trees bent over in sorrow
The clouds broke open and cried for me
As I dreaded for tomorrow
Facing life without you
Is the greatest pain I've known
Since the one is gone I loved the most
I feel so all alone
Will I ever be abel to feel joy again
As I stumble from day to day
Your memory I'll hold close to my heart
Til' my memory fades away
LeeAnn
I talked with chris many many times on different occasions and he could
always turn a dark moment into a brighter one, it's very hard to believe he has left us,
how will we go on? One thing I know, for those who believe in God and for those who don't
I do believe that one day we will all meet him again and be together once more. It's says
in the Bible that one day the trumpets will sound and we will be out int the fields and
all be caught up in the rapture and be taken to
heaven when that day comes I will look for my friends and loved ones Chris will be on the
top of my list.
Peace and long life-live long and prosper!
Clark Gray a.k.a Spock or Cork
Please accept my deepest sympathies of your loss.
And in the Jewish tradition I wish you all long life.
Love from Dave2469, all the ops on #40ish Quarterdeck, and all the
regular users of our room.
Dave2469
xxxxxxxxx
This is a poem that helped me when my mother passed away last summer I
would like to share it with you and hope that it will also help you!
When I must leave you!
When I must Leave you, for a little while,
Please do not grieve and shed wild tears
and hug your sorrows to you through the years
but start out bravely with a gallant smile
and for my sake and in my name
live on and doall things the same
feed not your loneliness on empty days
but fill each waking hour in useful ways
reach out your hand in comfort and in cheer
and I in turn will comfort you and hold you near
and never, never be afraid to die
For I am waiting for you in the sky!
I never knew Asylum very well but I enjoyed chatting with him very much. I will miss him
as I know you will. Remember have Faith and believe in God and he will help you through
the trying times. Believe me I know. Will remember you in my prayers,
Trudi from Missouri (Flame or Cntrybmkn).
Lights from Above
Walking through shadows of yesterday,
Looking for answers to questions left unknown,
Searching through memories and thoughts of what might have been,
Forgetting what is and has been,
Loosing track of the here and now,
Look not to those things of long ago,
Look to what is,
Looking toward the stars,
Now I see,
Knowing you are there to watch over me,
Memories of all that we are and can be,
Holding you dear to my heart,
Lights from the stars above,
Light the way before you now,
Treasures you have many,
Treasures you shall see,
Watch over us all,
Watch over us now,
Look not the question of why,
Search only inside,
The answers can be found,
A friend for eternity,
Shall always be within,
Watching over me now and forever,
Asylum you are among those above,
Watching each day,
Protecting each night,
Thoughts of you shall always be,
Within the thoughts of those who you could never see.
by SASSY
Non-judgemental, ways sincere
Troubles, worries, you did hear
Confidentiality
If the door was locked, you held a key
A shoulder to cry on offered always
A bright smile on those gloomy days
The star that twinkled and shone so bright,
Through the dark hours of the night
So when I look to the starry skye,
I will think of you, Asy
Like few others, to me, you were real
You will be greatly missed
Love always,
Zoe (daisy/Nemesis)
I'll miss our debates of the eve and all the trouble we used to manage
to find. I can't say you were my closest friend, but you were a friend. I will miss you.
thanks for being around when you were.
Pete (vrl)
Chris was the person on the IRC to "take me under his wings".
I was shy and quiet, but he always let me lurk. He never let anyone give me any guff. Even
as we grew apart for whatever reasons, he would always welcome me back to his channel with
a smile. I took for granted that he would always be there....a lesson we all should learn.
Chris, you are going to be deeply missed.
My prayers are with everyone that has been or will be touched by Chris'
life...what a man.
Trudi - Tigress
A kind man once roamed this plane.
Many people were seaking his fame.
Kind and gentle..yet forward and true...
Was this man, that many people knew.
Many were his friends..all the way till the end.
He loved and cared for the people in dispare.
He was allways there when you needed to share.
A man so kind to your griefs...
A man so open to your beliefs.
A man whose's name, in kindness did justice...
CHRISTopher, was truely a warm heart amoung us.
Day have gone since I heard of the accident.
Tears have rolled since the injustice.
A man we loved---A man who gave us happiness,
Has gone on into the heavens.
There let his soul have joy,
Such as the joy his presence gave us.
We love and miss you sy,
Angela
(Mode)
ASYLUM drew the bears
IN OUR HEARTS
YOU BRIGHTEND OUR DAYS
YOU MADE US SMILE
BUT NOW SINCE YOUR GONE,
OUR HEARTS YOURN FOR YOUR LOVE;
YOUR STUCK IN OUR HEARTS
WE ALL TRY TO ACCEPT THE FACT THAT
YOUR GONE,
BUT OUR HEARTS DONT WANT TO
BELIEVE IT;
YOUR STUCK IN OUR HEARTS
JUST BECAUSE YOU WENT AWAY
DOESNT MEAN WE DONT STILL LOVE YOU
FROM THE MOMENT YOU TALKED TO US,
YOU JUST STUCK IN OUR HEARTS
WE ALL MISS AND LOVE YOU ASYLUM
YOUR IN OUR HEARTS,
LOVE ALWAYS, yAsMiNe aka Khristee
Thursday,
September 25, 1997
SLEEP NOW
sleep now..sleep for no need to fight no need to
worry you can watch over us all without effort. You are now are angel of MERCY..of
LIFE..of LOVE..of HAPPINESS. For you are there to guide us unto the darkest night the
brightest of days. You will watch over all of us from above and will give us the stregth
we will need to carry on. You will see that no one shall hurt for your love shall fill
that void. You are the voice within our soul when we are frighten or alone. We shall never
leave your side...we are but waiting till the day when we are called and we shall see you
again to guide us into a place where there is no end... you shall live.....
Chistopher I know that your gone but not far I know that you can hear me. Take care of
my family and friends who have passed before you may you all be around me and surround me
with joy. I miss all 7 of you...for this month you all left my life for me to carry on.
And you Christopher, I know are well taken care of by all the love you took with you and
love that others shall give you whereever you are. I hope that you will meet my family and
friends up there...take with you my love tell them that I miss them so...and grandmom...I
want her back even tho I can't have her..I don't want to share but I know I must. So take
with you this prayer and know that you are added to my love of hearts of others who passed
on during this month with you.
Bridget McKenney
AKA: Rowan
I wish I new what to say..God, Chris..You were one of my closest on line
friends..You touched my life & my heart & I'm a better person for knowing
you..We've been thru a lot, Chris..The phone conversations..The endless nights on
line..The joking..The serious talks..The laughter and the pain..I'm so sorry that I wasn't
around much lately..Even if we didn't speak for weeks, or longer, I knew you would always
be there..I "Thought" you would always be there..
I love you, Chris & I'll miss you, my friend..
Lisa/Lady^Lit
Chris was always there when I felt alone in this shallow world. He
helped me to laugh at the trivial things, the small and unimportant. He truly taught me to
enjoy what I do with my life. This loss is too great to put into words, which is hard when
considering I am a woman of many words. I carry Chris' memory in my heart. We all love you
Chris.
"Dreams in the Dusk"
by Carl Sandburg
Dreams in the dusk,
Only dreams closing the day
And with the day's close going back
To the gray things, the dark things,
The far, deep things of dreamland.
Dreams, only dreams in the dusk,
Only the old remembered pictures
Of lost days when the day's loss
Wrote in tears the heart's loss.
Tears and loss and broken dreams
May find your heart at dusk.
I shall always remember Chris, especially at dusk...
Love always, Burgundy/Christy
Momentarily
letting the eyes close
letting the thoughts vanish
and only feeling
the images of his memory
the images of his presence
behind a screen
but so real, so genuine
so unique
irreplaceable
a part of life hid under his name
it's not going to be the same
for now every smile
will be betrayed by a tear
and every hope
will give way to the fear
you know he won't be on tonight
tomorrow, this month, this year
ever again
ever again
refusing to accept it
mixing sorrow with anger
and patience with disappointment
never again
the night takes over
wish it dawned yesterday
gathering the remains of words
into a last prayer
into an acknowledgment
thank you for everything Asy
Nick / apollon
~~Remembering You~~
Words unspoken, Spirts broken
Saying good-bye, Oh I wish I
could try.
Forever in my heart, Nothing
can tear that apart.
The joy you brought,
Could not have been taught.
In my dreams, you will live strong
In my thoughts and in my prayers,
May your love linger on.....
9-24-97
Julie Adkinson
In rememberace of
my love and my life
my friend and my strength
Christopher Wright
"Modern life is a journey by car. The Passengers change terribly in their reeking
seats, or roam from car to car, subject to unceasing transformation. Inevitable progress
is made toward the beginning (there is no difference in the terminals), as we slice
through cities, whose ripped backsides present a moving picture of windows, signs,
streets, buildings. Sometimes other vessels, closed worlds, vacuums, travel along beside
to move ahead or fall utterly behind." ~ Jim Morrison
I love you, Chris.
Love,
Jac-O
Chris
I see now that there is so much of you I never knew
As I stood behind you, rambling on and pulling at your hair,
Your eyes fixed on the screen,
But always, always taking in every word I said.
And this morning I remembered that time I fell asleep on you,
And how you stayed up all night in the same uncomfortable position,
Just so you wouldn't wake me.
And I think about you, out on the porch when I sang,
"'Why are you so far away,' she said. 'And won't you ever know?'"
Won't you ever know?
And I keep trying to control the tears,
To not cry in front of Stephen and your mom,
To be as strong as you would be,
But it's so hard without you here
With all the things I never said,
And the fear that you never really knew how loved you were.
And all these memories that are supposed to calm us,
Seem only to make this so much harsher.
Last night I finally read that notebook,
I could almost feel you pulling it out of my
(What did you call them?)
Little baby hands.
I ache to see you now, the strangest angel looking down.
And though I cry that you had to leave so soon,
I know that you're watching over us, as you always have,
And that when our times come, you'll slide open the glass,
And grin the grin that no one could cry through,
even now,
And take us in
Once again.
Chris, you are a part of each of us, forever.
Love Always,
Jessy
* * The Single Rose * *
A rose to stand alone,
through the depths of time,
to be adored silently,
yet touching so deep.
To look at the rose it seems,
it truly is alone.
Yet when looking closer,
a rose is not alone.
It has petals to wrap around it,
giving it color and care.
It has bright green leaves,
to absorb the suns love.
It has roots buried deep,
to bring nourishment from earth.
I touched lightly the petals,
feeling the comfort and love.
I adored with soft smile,
the leaves bright color.
I fed the roots,
with mine simplicity.
I give to the rose,
what it gives to me.
The tenderness of smile,
the happiness of touch,
tears of nourishment.
My eternal love.
For the family and friends of ASyLuM.
For what he meant to us,
and us, to him.
La Dawn L. James-Weisgarber
"NightMaiden"
I just want to let you know that I will pray for yall to be strong.
Asylum helped to turn me on to IRC and showed me the digital world over a year ago. I read
the poems and stories and tears fill my eyes. Someone told my that online chat is
pointless because you can't have true friendship there. I don't think I have ever heard
anything to untrue in my life. Asylum was a good friend and I can't imagine not laughing
to his little jokes. I will miss his wisdom and wonderful sense of humor.
He has on many occasion made my day a happier one.
God bless Asylum and his family...
Here of some quotes that make me think of Asylum.
"Thou mert my guide, philosopher, and freind" -Pope
"For ever, brother, hail and farewell."
(In perpetuum, frater, ave atque vale.) Catullus, Ode, CI
God Bless
Bart/H¡-J¡nx®
AsY.
Thoughts and prayers sang in unison,
Hearts opened to comfort others
In times when all share the same tears
Putting aside our own differences,
All together, afraid of death,
We need something to quell our fears.
The pathways often viewed as dark
Can be seen as foreboding,
Or something purely evil.
Why on Earth was he taken?
Why now, at such a young age?
Ignored questions, such peril.
Sadness, longing, emptiness...
Missing one so wonderful...
There seems no cure for our sorrows.
But as Stipe sang many times,
Caressing voice so gentle,
"Ohh.. oh, the sweetness follows."
AsY, Chris, had a family,
Girlfriend, many friends closeby
Who have shown their immense love.
These people, strengthened, will live
By each others' confidence,
His soul peaceful as a dove's.
"Thou art a soul in bliss;
but I am bound upon a wheel of fire,
that mine own tears do scald like molten lead."
-King Lear
"Who wants to live forever?"
-Queen
-Jeanette (JetPanthyr)
(Jet n lath)
I didn't know Chris well. To be honest I hardly knew him at all. When
I heard what happened, I cried. I had no real reason to, for I didn't know
the person behind the name that I often saw on my computer screen. I don't know why
but I cried. What I do know is he was a great guy. I think the reason people say
"Only the good die young" is because God sends us these people every once
in a while who are just so good to everyone. They are like angels and bless us all
with their presence. Then God can only lend them to us for a short while. So he
takes them back without warning. He was obviously loved by many people and made a great
impact on those around him. You are very luck to have had suck a great person in your
lives. Just like princess Diana, he brought together many people who may not
normally be together and I think he even made a large impact on my life. Concider
yourselves lucky for your lives had been thouched by an
angel.
Love Always,
Nicole Kipp
On September 19, 1997, the world lost a great person. He wasn't famous,
he wasn't incredibly gorgeous, he wasn't exceptionally brilliant. He was a good person, a
caring human being, and a fun person to be with.
Christopher Wright, known as Asylum to his IRC friends, lost his life through sheer
stupidity. He and two of his friends were killed in a car accident on that evening coming
home from a concert. They were going far too fast on a hill that was far too steep. Their
excessive speed was halted by a tree, crushing the car and killing all three people
inside.
Chris was an incredibly good friend of mine. Many people are able to say the same thing,
becuase Chris was such a caring and giving person that people felt able to open up to him
and just speak their mind. For a while, I was even in love with him.
Although we slowly grew apart, I still came to see him every now and then. When I moved to
the chatting network Dalnet, he stayed on Quarterdeck (I believe). I didn't get to speak
with him as much as I would have liked. I could never find him. Nonetheless, I have always
considered him an excellent friend and one of the best people whom I have met on the
computer.
He annoyed me, he pestered me, he insulted me, and he fought with me. He helped me, he
comforted me, he consoled me, and he advised me. I loved him, I hated him, and I loved him
all the more. He has always been one of my best friends, and he will always have a place
in my heart. He will never be forgotten.
KUSHU
Wings
Oh,to catch the winds of flight
And to soar where eagles go,
To leave the woes of troubled souls
Behind me far below.
I'd listen to the song of birds
And sail in endless flight,
Then chase the sun through cloudy paths
And play with stars at night.
The boundless heavens for my home,
The breeze to lift me high
To rise above my mortal bonds
And never have to die.
Knowing I had found the way
To trail where angels trod,
And when my wings could fly no more-
I'd take the hand of God!
With Loving Memories of Asylum
HeavensAngel
Three Die in Prince William As Car
Leaves Road, Hits Tree
By Tara Mack
Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, September 21, 1997; Page B02
The Washington Post
Three Prince William County residents were killed Friday night when their
car smashed into an oak tree along a narrow, hilly road in the Haymarket area of the
county. Police identified the victims as Donal Ratliff III, 19, Camille Lewin, 17, and
Christopher Wright, 23. Lewin was a senior at Stonewall Jackson High School, police said.
Ratliff was driving the car, a Subaru station wagon, at high speed and
apparently lost control of the vehicle, Prince William police spokeswoman Kim Chinn said.
She said that the car slammed sideways into the tree and that all three people died at the
scene. The accident occurred on Waterfall Road at 11:08 p.m.
Ratliff's mother, Caryl Bentley, said that her son and Lewin, his
girlfriend, had attended the John Fogerty concert at the Nissan Pavilion and that he
probably was taking her home when the accident occurred.
"It was close to her house," Bentley said. She described her son
as a "very talented artist" who had been caring for a younger brother and sister
for the last two months, enabling Bentley to go to work.
She said Ratliff was "very much in love with his girlfriend . . . who
died with him."
Chinn said that several bottles of beer were found in the car and that
Ratliff's body is being tested for alcohol.
None of the three was wearing a seat belt, but the car was so badly
crushed that they probably would have died in any case, Chinn said.
Greg Poletis, who lives on Waterfall Road, said skid marks indicate that
the driver slammed on his brakes at the top of a hill, then slid across the center line
and into the tree. Poletis said he and his girlfriend heard the crash and raced to the
scene. He said the impact had kicked up so much dirt that he mistook it for smoke.
"I'm still in shock about it," he said.
He said there have been several other traffic accidents on the winding
road in the 22 years he has lived there. The hill is especially treacherous because people
drive faster than the 35 mph speed limit, not realizing how steep it is until they reach
the top, he said.
Julie Sadler, who also lives near the crash site, said she has called the
police several times to ask them to patrol for speeders.
"That is a really, really nasty road," she said. "It's like
a roller coaster. You go up, and then you're going straight down."
Ratliff and Lewin lived in the Haymarket area, and Wright was a
Gainesville resident, police said.
Ratliff's aunt, Sheryl Mills, said he loved playing the guitar and was a
talented sketch artist.
Lewin's sister Anne-Marie Gibbs said the three "weren't even five
seconds from" Lewin's house when the crash occurred. She said that her sister liked
to write and draw and that her favorite subjects were English and art.
"She's going to be missed," Gibbs said.
Staff writer Martin Weil contributed to this report.
© Copyright 1997 The Washington Post Company |
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