ELVIS AND HIS MOM


Deep sorrow came to him in 1958

When only a young man of twenty-three;

And urgent call from dad, too late,

Gladys had begun her journey across the sea.


He said she was the “sunshine” in his life;

She had nurtured him since his birth.

Now his heart was pierced as if by a knife—

He must take her from the Mansion and give her to the earth.


She worried so about him as a child

And tried so hard to keep him in her sight.

So she would be sure he wouldn’t go wild,

She kept him very close day and night.


She instilled in him the love of God

And all His creations big and small,

And from this path, he never trod—

He was partial to none, but gave his love to all.


Prejudice was an act he abhorred,

But generosity, kindness, and love were seeds he sowed.

Because of this he was respected and adored;

The weeds of hate and jealousy he kept hoed.


She was proud of him before the world knew his name,

For the good in him she saw in the beginning.

As a child and as a man to her he was the same—

He showed respect to all, no matter their leaning.


Gladys did not live long enough to enjoy

The full impact he would have on the world.

She hardly dreamed this would happen to her boy;

She wasn’t here when his talents fully unfurled.


Nor could she know what her death would do to him,

That loneliness and depression would follow him always,

Or how his life started leaving at her end,

Or how terribly he missed her all his days.


But now they are together for all eternity;

He missed her so and for him we grieve.

Poor Vernon is in absolute misery,

As we shall be until our time to leave.


From now till then we will be weeping,

Longing for him who to us has sung

His last song and is now sleeping.

As someone said, “Whom the gods love die young.”

© Joan Buchanan West

ELVIS: 1935-NEVER

My My Heartfelt Thanks to Joan
for so graciously sharing her beautiful-beautiful 'Elvis' poems !!!
Please drop her a note in appreciation of her awesome talent
and her love of Elvis.

Joan's surgery is scheduled for Tuesday the 15th
with extensive radiation treatments to follow.
I humbly ask that you remember her in your prayers.
Please add her to your prayer list and
drop her a note with your encouragement
and best wishes!
God bless each of you!
My love,
Janie

  Elvis always acknowledged that the most important woman in his life
was his beloved mother, Gladys.

As much as she was important -
she was certainly the most influential,
encouraging his talent from a very young age.

Elvis cherished his mother beyond all ordinary limits,
and she in turn spoilt him beyond all limits.