God can't have Bret Michaels yet

My story isn't special. My brother was into metal when we were kids, and in the midst of all his stuff, I hear some Poison and I was hooked. I remember my sister taking me to the mall to buy anything I wanted for my birthday when I was in the second grade ... what did I choose? A "Look What The Cat Dragged In" concert shirt (which subsequently got stolen by one of my siblings, though I must admit I've never gotten confirmation of that).

I still always carried that torch for Poison, even when my friends made fun of me. So much so I bought a Bret Michaels solo album, and it' good, but you know, you can't top Bret, Ricky, CC and that other dude. :) (Come on, you don't know his name either, and I could go look it up, but I'm too lazy at present moment.)

In 2006 Poison went on tour with Cinderella and I so wanted to go, but they didn't come anywhere near here. As luck would have it, though, they were playing my hometown and I managed to wrangle tickets to a concert the night after the Poison show back home. So it only makes sense that I was going to go to the Poison show if I was going to be in town.

I am so glad I went. It was, by far, the best concert I have ever been to. Cinderella sucked, but you know, I wasn't there to see them. I was there to see Poison. I was there to see Bret. These guys just kept going, singing and having fun. You could tell they were just grateful that, twenty years later, people were still rocking out to their music. (Side note, I was the youngest person there, but you know, whatever.)

I am grateful to my brother for my expanded music education. Without him, I never would have learned the joys of Poison, Guns N Roses, Aerosmith, and others. Much as I love some of the others, Poison has a special place in my heart and always will.

Bret Michaels was one of my first crushes. I loved him when I was seven ... even more now that I'm *ahem* significantly older than seven, though for so many more reasons. Yeah, he's hot (yeah, I know the bandanna is hiding a bald spot, but it happens) ... he has a great heart, and he's so passionate about his daughters. Now that I have one of my own, I can understand that so much more. One of his solo songs is called "Raine," which was written about his oldest daughter and it's one of my favorites.

But you know, nothing I can type here can make the appendectomy and brain hemorrhage (aka stroke) disappear from history. Nothing I can type here can make the doctors figure it all out and make him better. I can pray for him each and every night, because I'm not ready for a life without Bret Michaels in it. I want to see him in concert one more time. I want to sing along with his songs without crying because he's gone.

Guess the best thing to quote is the chorus from his solo song "Stay With Me"
Stay with me
[Bret] won't you stay here with me
You promised you would never leave
Stay with me