- Tobey And The Night
The grave yard shift
That’s what they call it
In radio
And other lonely places
The grave yard shift
Midnight to six am
A place where people drift
When there is no place left to go
My shovel was a turntable
My hole was the one I dug with my voice
And opinions
Losing myself in thoughts
Ideas and music
Then the phone would ring
Not a ring
You can’t have a ring in
“On Air studio”
But a red flashing light
Flashes and flashes
Not be ignored
It screams
Flashing out
Phone call
Phone call
And so many flashes later
I answer
And find a voice
A voice that still rings
Like the phone that didn’t
The voice said
My name is Tobey
Would you play a song for me
A wonderful world happens after midnight
The creative and lonely hearts comes out
So do the strange and deranged
What a cross section of life one gets
On the grave yard shift
The musicians finishing up there gigs
Dropping by because
Where do you go after 2 am
When there is no place to go but home
And home is no place to go
We had that in common
The night people and I
Who keep the night people
Glad they are night people
Tobey neither a lonely heart
Nor a musician
Just a night soul on a quest for tomorrows meaning
And yesterday’s reasons
Just a late night soul who came to listen
Not just to the show
But to me
And then listen some more
More about the lonely soul
Of this drifting night person
You listen to me
The real me
And through so many passages
Of my life you came to listen
Again and then
Some more
Helping me through the
The long nights of the emotional soul
The journey from one growing old
To growing older
And many years later
You listen and cared again
I guess I never really let you know
How much you made my life
A possible dream
There on the grave yard shift
A voice a dream
A clear and moving stream
Pushing time along
Your memory will go with me
To my grave yard shift
Thank you for all that could have been
And for what was
Now and Forever
You made the hard times better
.
© 2012, Dan Sanders. All rights reserved.
I made it through college, started at Pace in New York, family seemed to think I needed a business degree. I didn't last long, two double periods of accounting a week and I was off to N.Y. U. To make a long story short ( too late for that) I graduated from UCLA and actually, my biggest kick out of that is just saying, especially here on the east coast UCLA, but I could care less, been in Boston since 1975, though I was coming for a year or so. A very good friend at the time, she said to me "Dan you'll never leave Boston" so dear Florida “Sun Spot Baby" you're down there, been in and out of radio, TV, acting and that's me in a nut shell.
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Charlie Scott – Positivity in The City 
Dan, I hadn’t noticed the author’s name, but when I began reading I could hear your voice quite clearly. Beautiful, gently melancholic and compassionate. Another lovely slice from the life of Dan Sanders, voice of the late night air waves.
Melody J Haislip recently posted..Tinder
Melody, That’s the first thing I’ve written in almost two months. I’ve had an emotional clog in multiple ways. This was almost scary to let out and still try an make it critically worthy. And funny you should say you could hear my voice, because if i still like it in a few days it will become a podcast. Thank you for the encouragement.
Dan Sanders recently posted..Tobey And the Night
Very Nice tribute to YOU, to Art, to life and legacy. It’s so comforting how you write and tell your story. I love the easiness and kind of country swagger.
“I love reading you Dan” I’ll be waiting on the podcast.
Mantra Lotus recently posted..Night Navigator
I felt as though I were privy to something very private…and yet…our pain is very visible to all that choose to see…. lovely and sad. Well done. I find myself wishing for a way to sooth the ache… and I cannot. I send positive energy your way.
Dani Heart recently posted..Gluten free brunch with the Hearts
Mantra, I’m not sure exactly what country swagger means , but I like it! and love the country and wish I had swagger thank you.
Dani lovely and sad is what the situation was/is but also a life experience that I have no regrets about only a mix of sad and happy memories. It was hard to share and I so appropriate. everyone’s good words. I haven’t written very much or at all in months. It’s not writers block but it may be writers fear. Digging deep into ones life and letting it out is what poetry should be, but it is also painful. Very painful at times.
Dan Sanders recently posted..Tobey And the Night