"Her Voice" by Bobby Torpey

Her voice was an instrument of cold, hard eloquence.
And every time she sang, the air carried it with the plaintive dirge of unfulfilled promise.
Her lineage was a long and proud one;
Her name had, for many generations, been her symbol of dignity, passion and beauty.
The days of heroic song ended with her.
For though her larynx would make the notes, her soul could not make the music.
She possessed not the gift, but merely the skill.

God never used her as his trumpet.
She couldn't move minds or stir souls.
Therefore she became, through no fault of her own, the object of scorn and derision.
And her name fell into disrepute.
And her large, preordained, audience shrank to nothing, and she lived alone;
And she died alone...

Gone But Not Forgotton....

The next few blogs are a tribute to my brother-in-law, who has recently passed. His name is Robert Torpey. He passed away on February 5th 2009. He was only 46 years old. He died suddenly from a pulmonary embolism. It was very sudden, and unfortunately, there was nothing that would've been done for him.

This is a copy of the obituary which was published in the program for the funeral service...

Bobby, as we called him, was diagnosed with Autism and organic brain damage at a very early age, and around the age of eight, was struck by a car, which left him with a permanent limp, and emotionally traumatized.

But through his mother's belief, faith and vision for the future, and the inspiration of the family, he began to have the hope to build a life.

Two major contributions he made during his lifetime included a science fiction fan club he organized for the British TV show "Dr. Who", and his annual participation in the "Walk For The Cure", which supports the MS Foundation.

He built a career at a prominent law firm and later pursued an education in computer programming. After completing three years of college, he succeeded in building a career in computer programming and worked for the Department of Defense, along with other major organizations. Most recently, he started his own successful computer programming business, Brightfame Consulting.

Bobby leaves to mourn two brothers: William, and Thomas (his brother Michael passed away some time ago); three sisters-in-law: Dora, Ellen, and Jessica; and four nephews: Brian, Eric, Keith, and Jeffrey.

Lovingly Submitted,
The Family.....

One thing I never knew about Bobby was that he was aspiring to be a writer. I have found many of his writings. Considering the fact that he was Autistic, I think they are very well written.

This is why the next few entries to my blog are dedicated to him. I think the world should see what he wrote, and most of all see that just because society labels you in a certain manner, you can overcome it.

I guess the moral of the story is to not give up.

The first few writings will be posted within the next few days, for anyone who wishes to read them.

I am also in the process of designing a website, dedicated to his memory, in which his writings will also be posted, along with artwork I have done......

As always, Keep Dreaming............