The Night Sinatra Died [by David Lehman]

Sinatra, snapping out of a haze,

noticed me sitting across from him

“Who the fuck are you?”

Just another fan, I said, on the day he died

I made anagrams out of his name

satin, sin, stain, stair, train, rain, star

and figured out my last message

I mean what I would say to him now

“your goodbye left me with eyes that cry”

on the other hand you left me the history

of your voice the record of the American century

from Roosevelt to Reagan you will live on

whenever I need to hear you (it has to be you)

sing “I Get Along Without You Very Well”

(Strand’s favorite) or “I’m a Fool to Want You”

(my choice) when your lover has gone

May 15, 1998

Comments

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This poem beautifully captures the profound connection between music and memory. The anagrams add a clever twist, reflecting the complexity of emotions tied to Sinatra's legacy. Truly moving!