In Memorium: Fred Neil

Singer and songwriter Fred Neil was found dead in his Florida home Saturday, according to the obituary in the Sacramento Bee. I must have missed the original reports, if there were any. He was not as well known as many of the performers of his era, preferring to stay out of the spotlight. But he was an inventive composer, a deft lyricist, and was gifted with one of the most remarkable voices in music. Nobody ever sang notes that low with such superb intonation. Everyone familiar with his music will miss him.

Afternoon

A MOUNTAIN SPRING

There is a brook in the mountains,
Nobody I ask knows its name.
It shines on the earth like a piece
Of the sky. It falls away
In waterfalls, with a sound
Like rain. It twists between rocks
And makes deep pools. It divides
Into islands. It flows through
Calm reaches. It goes its way
With no one to mind it. The years
Go by, its clear depths never change.

-CH'U CH'UANG I