Poetry in Voice: Remembering Mary Travers

Today was a busy day and public transportation was not my friend. But no matter what, I made it to the places I had to be and home again with a general sigh of relief and overall gratefulness.


That said, the half baked poem I concocted on the bus from the Cathedral home tonight will not be posted. Instead this space will be dedicated to the great Mary Travers of Peter, Paul and Mary fame who died tonight at the age of 72.

I first heard Mary Travers perform live at the Wolftrap just outside of DC in late August of 1995, a summer in which Peter, Paul & Mary were as active as ever-- just that May they took the stage at Kent State to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the historic shootings. It was my first weekend in DC and I went with 5 other kids who had come to live and study in Washington and we ended up being best friends through college. Even though the legendary trio had been performing for over 30 years by then, their voices were pure, beautiful, and their humor and grace went beyond what I imagined from their "protest song" label.

In 2006 I had the privilege of seeing the three of them again at Wolftrap, after she had undergone successful bone marrow transplants to treat her leukemia. She sounded great, had more energy and voice than I would have expected and you could tell she had a special kind of wisdom about life emanating from her very bones.

While Travers herself is not noted for penning many of her own songs, she sang those of others in collaboration and with heart. Below is one of my favorite songs she sang and they sang together courtesy of John Denver. Pure poetry. She sang this song and to me it was hers, and my favorite. It is also worth noting that she didn’t always sing the same lyrics posted here—instead she was able to change some of the lyrics depending on venue and perhaps how the group was feeling over the decades. That’s also pure poetry.

I have to say I got a little choked up reading what Peter Yarrow and (Noel) Paul Stookey had to say about their friend and life-long collaborator: (http://marytravers.com/)

Safe travels, Mary, we will miss you.

Leavin’ on a Jet Plane

All my bags are packed

I’m ready to go

I’m standin here outside your door

I hate to wake you up to say goodbye

But the dawn is breakin

Its early morn

The taxis waitin

He’s blowin his horn

Already I’m so lonesome

I could die



So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you’ll wait for me

Hold me like you’ll never let me go

cause I’m leavin on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go



There’s so many times I’ve let you down

So many times I’ve played around

I tell you now, they don’t mean a thing

Ev’ry place I go, I’ll think of you

Ev’ry song I sing, I’ll sing for you

When I come back, I’ll bring your wedding ring



So kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you’ll wait for me

Hold me like you’ll never let me go

cause I’m leavin on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go



Now the time has come to leave you

One more time

Let me kiss you

Then close your eyes

I’ll be on my way

Dream about the days to come

When I won’t have to leave alone

About the times, I won’t have to say



Oh, kiss me and smile for me

Tell me that you’ll wait for me

Hold me like you’ll never let me go

cause I’m leavin on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go



But, I’m leavin on a jet plane

Don’t know when I’ll be back again

Oh babe, I hate to go