BRIGHT LIGHTS — Allison, Tara and Lauren at Allison's 2006 high school graduation. GrandPa Reno was in attendance. Allison went on to earn a four-year degree from the prestigious Academy of Arts in San Francisco, a B.A. in photography. Lauren became a world-class fashion designer while still in high school.

SHAKESPEARE SONNET 73 That time of year thou mayst in me behold When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. In me thou seest the twilight of such day As after sunset fadeth in the west, Which by and by black night doth take away, Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest. In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire That on the ashes of his youth doth lie, As the death-bed whereon it must expire Consumed with that which it was nourish’d by.        This thou perceivest, which makes thy love more strong,        To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

I can't remember ever crying myself to sleep. Ever. Until last week. When I learned that my grand-daughter was dead at 21.

The Tara Danielle Donlevy I once knew displayed a sparkling personality right out of Peanuts, remarkably adult words from a child.

She was born able to command a room just by walking in, the perfect politician or perhaps a doctor.

After five months in a Phoenix area hospital, she died of complications of heart surgery on August 26.

Her father, number two son Andrew, was at her bedside.

"The best analogy I can think of so far? This is like having a limb amputated without anesthesia. Literally ripped from the body," he wrote.

"Afterwards, you see where the limb should be and the mind still gives you the sensation and feeling as if the limb is still there."

I responded as best I could: "When his wife died last year, comedian/actor Patton Oswalt [Agents of SHIELD] finally gave me the words for what I went thru when your mother Betty died and what you endure now: a 'numb slog.'

"The words themselves are so clumsy, ugly and difficult to say that I have trouble remembering them. Great if dark anti-poetry. Now I can finally feel a bit of what your mom felt on that awful 1978 Saturday when we were informed that your sister Debbie was lost at 19. Betty exhaled a soul-wrenching sigh, then 'She was so perfect!'

"A simultaneous complaint and question to God. Gotta hunch you've been there."

THE PRICE OF PASSAGE: Funerals are expensive. Tara's friends launched a GoFundMe page at http://gf.me/u/cgt453/ Those who want to mail checks may do so, payable to Andrew Donlevy, 1480 E. Pecos Rd. #3025, Gilbert AZ 85295. A memorial is scheduled at 3:00 p.m. this Saturday Sept. 9 at the Falconer Funeral Home, 251 W. Juniper Avenue, Gilbert AZ 85233.

Forever FantasyLand

The Grasshopper

After I uploaded the pictures, I took a break outside.

I saw the body of a strong green grasshopper lying among my roses.

A dragonfly had dropped out of the sky a few feet away.

Reminders to soar while you may.

If you were a grasshopper, you'd be able to leap tall buildings in single bound.

Jake Highton achieved such heights.

I was honored to be asked to speak at the remembrance of my longtime Sparks Tribune colleague, 86, last Saturday at the University of Nevada-Reno.

I shared the soundsystem with Beethoven and a who's-who of journalists (Dennis Myers, Lise Mousel) and Jake's colleagues (including Journalism Dean Alan Stavitsky, Profs. Todd Felts, Alison Gaulden, Grant Leneaux, Howard Rosenberg) and Mrs. Mary Foxton Highton who read from MacBeth.

The striking Ms. Mousel voiced Shakespeare's Sonnet No. 73: "In me thou see'st the glowing of such fire, that on the ashes of his youth doth lie...This thou perceivest which makes thy love more strong, To love that well which thou must leave ere long."

Adios, dear hearts.

Fly.

Be well. Raise hell. / Esté bien. Haga infierno.

RSVP for the remembrance

My number 2 son Andrew Donlevy thanks all of those who have contributed to Tara's GoFundMe page to help with her final expenses. You may also mail checks payable to Andrew Donlevy, 1480 E. Pecos Rd. #3025, Gilbert AZ 85295.