Yes, he was in the middle… three girls, Earl, three girls, I am the first born. When my li'l brother came home from the hospital, he had cold black hair to his shoulders with blue ribbons in his hair. Dad want to make sure everyone knows he was a boy.

Mom was asleep on the couch one day and I decided to trade my doll for my brother… took him for a walk (hey, I was 6) in the doll stroller. In those days (60s), if you did something wrong, you get a spanking. My bum hurt for weeks.

Earl climbed a plum tree and yelled top of his lungs, "HEY GRRRLS!!!!" All of us ran to the tree, thought he was injured, then it happened… he pee on his! GROUSE CITY!! Stayed in the shower for hours…

I whispered in Earl's ear…

**FLY HOME FLY

IN MEMORY OF EARL RICHARDS, MY BROTHER WITH ALS

YOU LIVED A LIFE
A LIFE WITH PAIN
THE PAIN IS STILL HERE
YOU FOUGHT HARD

NOW YOU CAN RELEASE YOUR FEAR
YOUR FEAR OF LIVING AND FEAR OF DYING
BE THE EAGLE YOU WANTED TO BE
FLY HOME FLY

MY DEAREST LITTLE BROTHER
ONLY FOURTY TWO YEARS OLD
BE THE EAGLE YOU WANTED TO BE
FLY HOME FLY

NOW YOU ARE WATCHING OVER US
SIX SISTERS AND A WIFE YOU ADORE
FOUR CHILDREN AND ONE UNBORN
A GRANDCHILD WHO WILL BEAR YOUR NAME
JAYDEN MICHAEL EARL…

Ursula Richards-Coppola
Copyright ©2005 Ursula Richards-Coppola**

Earl J Richards