Ghost

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


In the haunting silence of the night
I hear faint echos of the past.
The muted, fading engines' roar,
Racing against time, life flying fast.

You are more than just a memory,
Yet so much less than what is real.
Forever young, forever gone;
You linger in the grey, so surreal.

The Brilliance of a Star

I'll love you forever, Tim

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


Sometimes a star shines so bright,
That even in death, it lights the night.

You have been gone from us for years,
Yet I still see you shining through my tears.

And the light glows on all the while,
As years pass by I still miss your smile.

Forever entombed in the minds of fans,
Your star alights but never lands.

Death doesn't end the memory of a star;
The grave doesn't steal, the gates don't bar.

Drive on, forever, across the twinkling sky;
The body may be cold, the spirit doesn't die.

Ghostriders

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

If you listen, you can hear them,
If you gaze into the distance,
There's a shimmer of movement sublime.
A break in the wall of eternity,
And they are with us again,
Those heros of the heart,
Who made you dare to dream,
Take to the edge of possibility
The hunger that drives ambitions.
Ghostriders.

You can hear them in the early morn,
Before the sun is more than a suggestion,
Whispering, today....today....
For tomorrow is nobody's promise.
Find and follow your dreams,
Dare to take a chance,
For to wait for something to come to you
Is a fool's dream at best.
Reach out, grab life, hold on fast.
Ghostriders.

From the room's edge you hear them,
"Go for it girl,
Don't give up on life."
From the doorway you can hear,
Spread your wings, you can fly."
From the window someone says,
"Do it your way or not at all."
The air vibrates all around,
"Be who you are at all times,
And never settle for being less."
Ghostriders.

Listen, you can hear them,
Those heros who lived life fully,
If you look, you will find them
In the gray of unspoken dreams,
The place where the soul
Touches the heart is their home.
Ghostriders, whispering, today....
For tomorrow is not a promise,
And yesterday is forever gone.
Ghostriders.

A Racer's Prayer

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


Lord, as I sit here and look at the track,
Silent and empty, in the pale light of dawn;
I hear the far distant roar of the fans,
I feel the ghost's of the racers long gone.

As I prepare myself to live out my dream,
I can see my friends who are no longer here;
And know they understand as very few can,
Why, to me, this way of life is so dear.

There's something inside me, deep in my blood,
That drives me to put my life on the line;
To try to control something so out of control,
Is sweeter to me than the worlds finest wine.

The thrill of the speed sings in my veins,
As I push to the limit what my engines' got;
The grit and the gasoline burn in my eyes,
Straight to my soul, it pulses red hot.

And I find myself, and know who I am,
You know me, Lord, it's my ultimite high;
To dodge chance and fate, lap after lap,
Faster and faster, each one that goes by.

It's grueling, it's taxing, it saps my strength,
Yet, at no other time am I so fully alive;
At 200 miles an hour, with the best of the best,
Going straight to the edge as this circle I drive.

So Lord, I ask, that You look down here today,
And unless You say it's my time to go;
Let me drive my car, let me set the pace,
Let me give my fans one hell of a show.

Let me not cause undue harm or offend,
But make those boys get out of my way;
Let me not cause the loss of a friend,
Just let me win this race today.



For my main man, Rusty...and in memory of Tim, Davey, Alan and Neil

Tim Richmond

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


For one moment in endless time,
He walked among us.
Like the stars in the night,
He shimmered and danced;
Touching us with his beauty;
Filling us with delight.
And we drew ever near to the heat;
Wanting to be consumed by him,
And the magic that he was.
For one moment he was the best;
Too brief a moment in endless time.
His shimmering dance faltered,
And we watched the stars die,
To leave him so alone at the end.
I can still see him in my mind,
As he was - full of life and love.
And my breath catches as I almost feel
The warmth of his smile,
And see the twinkling blue of his eyes. . .
As he races through my dreams.

Fly Away

BY CAROLE NICHOLS

Flying high, the eagle fears not,
Dives so deep to seize it's prey;
Instinct pulling him up with the prize,
He speads his wings to fly away.

The sight of that magestic bird,
Spurs the hearts and steals the breath;
Living the life it truly loves,
Dreading the end, but never death.

And we loved to watch this eagle fly,
Gasped and cheered as he soared;
Chased the dreams he brought to life,
The eagle flew; the fans all roared.

Today we watched him fly away,
He spread his wings and bowed his head;
His flight came to an end on a sunny day,
And silence reigns; the eagle is dead.


In Memory of Dale Earnhardt

April 29, 1951 - February 18, 2001

Epitaph for Tim

BY CAROLE NICHOLS


In the midst of prosperity he was born,
Blessed with riches and beauty bright.
The sun was his smile, the dew his tears;
And he viewed his world with sweet delight.
With every youthful wish fulfilled,
Into a perfect man he grew;
Tall and strong and sleekly tanned,
And Destiny's fingers touched him, too.
His body firm, so exquisitely made;
He lived life fully, this elegant prince.
He gave no thought to the future;
Had no protection, thus, no defense.

His beauty rivalled the peacock bright,
Surpassing that of any damsel fair.
The wind caressed his golden skin,
And ruffled his soft, sun-kissed hair.
His blue eyes twinkled, so full of life;
Sparkled with electric, sensual glee.
His full lips promised unspeakable joy,
And beckoned softly, "Come, lay with me."
Ladies would quiver and fall in his arms;
Sigh with pleasure, dream sweet dreams,
And he passed from one to another
Enjoying the treasure their bodies would bring.

Men chaffed with envy at his charmed life
And tried to best him, take him down;
But the victories were his, and we cheered,
And he strutted and preened at the sound.
He tasted life's fruit at a furious pace,
As if he knew it couldn't last.
He drank the wine of some vintage wild;
He gambled with love, varied and fast.
He savored life's dangers, race after race;
Walked on the wild side more often than not.
Danced and cavorted in the misty heat,
And the fire that burned him was terribly hot.

And for all the riches that were his,
Nothing could save him in the end.
In sickness, alone, he cried and died,
Shunning those who had called him friend.
For he had once dreamed a Hero's dream;
To be adored by fans, one and all.
But his legacy was the kiss of death,
And the cheers became Death's call.
At the end of his short, fast-lived life
All but a trace of his beauty was gone,
He closed his blue eyes in eternal sleep
Never knowing who had caused this wrong.

And Tim, we miss you everyday;
Miss the excitement that you gave,
Miss your beauty and special charm;
You haunt our memories from the grave.
We regret with all our hearts that
We never told you we loved you so.
We would have stood close by your side
As you fought life's fiercest foe.
This world is far too empty a place
Without the person that was you.
Your specter into a legend has grown;
I hear you laugh as if you knew.


Sweet Heaven, Tim, there's not a day that goes by that you aren't missed. Every race I see seems to lack the magic that you created by just your presence. Rest in peace and race with the angels.