"I's gonna die before I sees ya again." 

 

"I's gonna die before I sees ya again." 

That's what Denver told me one day. Several of us were camping at a ranch in West Texas. The sky was cloudy, and it was cold. We had been standing around a smokey fire. Everybody else was off chasing cows and it was just he and me and the fire. 

"Is something wrong, Denver?" 

"No nothins wrong" 

"Have you been to a doctor?" 

"Travis I don't need no doctor to tell me I's gonna die." 

Denver was getting angry.  Sometimes when I asked questions he felt he was being told he didn't know what he was talking about and Denver had been told that he didn't know what he was talking about too many times in his life. Still I had to ask. 

"Well , Denver, you're not talking about..." 

"No I's not gonna kills myself. I's just trying to tell you." 

"Ok, Ok. This kind of talk just scares me." 

"Everybody's gonna die and I just knows. I won't see you again, Travis." 

We hunched a little closer to the fire and tried to keep out of the smoke, My eyes were watering. Damn smoke. 

Denver passed away a short time later. I never saw Denver again. 

Denver was one of the best people I have ever known.  I didn't get to spend much time with him but I miss him dearly. Denver’s thoughts show up in my music. Kind of strange how some people can have such a big impact on you.

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