TOM'S REFUSAL TO BE DEFEATED
WAS APPARENT IN THE EARLY SPRING OF HIS LIFE
BATTLEFIELDS OF PLASTIC TOY SOLDIERS
DELICATELY HANDPAINTED
DOWN TO THE STROKE OF AN EYELASH
WERE PITTED AGAINST EACH OTHER
THE BLOODLESS WARS NEVER BROUGHT LOSS
JUST THE REASSURANCE OF A VICTORY.

HIS RACING DAYS OF ADOLESCENCE
PRODUCED STATE OF THE ART EQUIPMENT
CUSTOM BUILT FROM HOURS OF DETAILED SELECTION
HIS WALKMAN
AS CRUCIAL AS HIS HELMET
PLAYED SOUNDS TO INSPIRE
HIS AERODYNAMIC SLEAKWEAR
AS WEIGHTLESS AS HIS BIKE
ALLOWED WIND
TO KNOW THE CONTOURS
OF HIS YOUNG MUSCLES.

RAQUETBALL WITH DAD AND PAM
BROUGHT COUNTLESS FRUSTRATIONS
YEARNINGS TO HAVE SIZE AND AGE ON HIS SIDE
YEARS LATER HIS DEVASTATING SWING
COMPENSATED 10-FOLD
FOR THE SACRIFICED SWEAT OF A FORMER UNDERDOG
TO BEAT HIS SISTER WITH EASE
WAS PARADISE ON EARTH.

SPEEDING WAS TOM'S IDEA OF A SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
BEE-LINING DOWN A MOUNTAIN SLOPE
HIS SKI'S AIRBORNE IN FLIGHT
HIS RED BARON EYES FIXATED ON THE CHALLENGE
AHEAD
SPEEDING DOWN THE AUDOBON
AT 120 MPH
THE WORLD BARELEY CATCHING UP WITH HIM
SPEEDING THROUGH TRAFFIC
TO CAPTURE A PHOTOGRAPHIC MOMENT IN TIME
BUMPER TO BUMPER
AS IF HE COULD CLIMB OVER
THOSE ATTEMPTS TO SLOW HIM DOWN.

TOM'S DARING TO LIFE LIFE TO ITS FULLEST BLOOM
SCARED SOME OF US
WE WARNED HIM OF HIS SEEMING RECKLESS SIDE
BUT HE KNEW WHAT GOING BEYOND MEANT
TOM WENT BEYOND THE CONFORMITY OF 9-5
HIS JOB WAS TO SHARE HIS VISION
HE WENT BEYOND THE PHYSICAL
KNOWING THAT THE RUSH WAS IN THE PUSH
TOM WOULDN'T SETTLE FOR THE PURELY TECHNICAL
HE WENT WHERE ART AND SCIENCE UNITE
IN THE BEYOND.

A PHOTO OF TOM IN THE LAKE DISTRICT
CAPTURED IN TIME
HIS YEARNING TO FLY
HIGH UPON A MOUNTAINTOP
THE SOUL OF ONE FOOT ON THE GROUD
HIS BODY POISED IN FLIGHT
GERMANY, EGYPT, TEXAS, MARYLAND
WHERE DID YOU FLY TO THIS TIME TOM?
THE SOUL OF YOUR FOOT HAS LEFT THE GROUND
BUT YOUR FOOTPRINT REMAINS
BRANDED TO OUR HEARTS

PAMELA PLACE

link to meriden record journal where tom worked.

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