My Best Friend John And I 'For Eoin M'

We grew up together my best friend John and I His dad brought him to be raised by my mum his sister as a young boy Before he sailed forth for the U.S.A. Beyond the sea and many miles away. I never called him uncle I recall As he seemed more like a brother to us all He was my friend for over seventy years And the good memories outlive the parting tears. At our school lunch break we oft raced up the hill To touch the sails upon the old windmill And back down again just as the school bell rung Those were the happy days when we were young. Of all the friends I knew my dearest friend of all He stood by me in the church at Montreal At my first marriage 'she died tragically' And through these times my friend John stood by me. I was there the day he changed his course in life On the day he took Mary for his wife And I was there to whisper him a last goodbye My true and dear friend since I was a boy. His hands were cold we'd never meet again As I whispered goodbye in the New York rain And though there is heartache in those last goodbyes It's still not very hard to visualize. And John and I again race up the hill To touch the sails upon the old windmill The wind blowing in our faces ruffled our hair Such happy times together we did share. We affirmed our religious vows in what we then believed Our first communion and confirmation together we received Went to college and lived in the U.S.A. From Skerries almost half a world away. A cherished member of our family My uncle John lives in my memory Though I never called him uncle I recall He seemed more like a brother to us all.