Mark Hammon, artist (© Jan. 1992): 14 year old DUI victim Mark Engle enters "the pearly gates"
Within weeks of his 14 year old friend Mark’s death, Toby Baldwin composed a song, the encouraging lyrics of which are a tribute to the personality known on this earth as “Mark”. Those song lyrics (published here with the author’s permission) reflect what Toby felt that Mark would say to his friends and family if he could come back for a moment.
Mark Engle (14), Ashley Sweeney (15), Phil Shinner (19), and Clinton Sweeney (11) had been walking diagonally two by two on the shoulder of an Island County WA road the last afternoon in 1991 when they were struck from behind by an alcohol-impaired driver who did not stop to render aid.
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Don’t Cry For Me
I’m sorry that I had to leave you.
A distant voice called me away.
There was so much left for us to share,
so much we never got to say.
But all my pain is far behind me,
confusion finally laid to rest.
I hope my life here had a reason.
What you do now will be the test.
I died too early, but I always knew I would.
I lived life the way I wanted,
and always looked for something good
in everyone.
As I look down upon you now,
my hopes for you are still so strong.
Better to have loved and lost,
but we haven’t lost for long.
Don’t cry for me, beloved friends.
I've risen beyond this world of fear.
Hold my friendship in your memory,
and always know that I am near.
I know the grief will nearly kill you.
Dry your eyes, and carry on.
Remember me,
for through your lives,
my spirit will live on.
© 1992, Toby Baldwin. All rights reserved.
Author’s e-mail: lauratobyemily(at)juno.com
Author’s web page: http://tobybaldwin.tripod.com/tobybaldwin/id7.html
Toby writes (7/25/2001), "Well, I can hardly believe we're coming up on the 10th year since Mark died. If there's one thing that's clear by now, it's that it hurts less after time, but the sense of loss (for this life, anyway) never goes away. It hits me the hardest on holidays, and when it does I pray for you and Jeremy and the rest of the family and friends."
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