It seemed as though it was impossible.
I thought he would probably outlive all of us.
That after nuclear times came and went, Michael would be left alone with the insects and an impossibly blue sky. Wisdom suggests that we come to know who a man truly was by his end. It will be interesting to see what develops in the story of the death of this fantastically-talented eccentric.

I know this: when he started his show… bursting from underneath the stage through an elevator and trapdoor… he stole people’s breath away from them. And he had not yet even sung a note or danced a step.

I used to tape his songs off of the radio with my cousin and memorize the words; these are the verses that return to me right now:

They told me
I’m meant to be faithful
And walk when not able
And fight ’til the end
But I’m only human

Carry me, like the river Jordan, and I will then say to thee:
“You are my friend“