Never intended to be a song in the first place, I came up with this small poem in late 1976 while I was in the process of a divorce. I wrote it with my daughter, Heather, in mind, who was about 4 years of age at the time. 


To Close The Door
(By Keith Brown - September 1976)

(For my daughter, Heather)

With morning came the message, they are taking you away,
Sweet child, your daddy has so little time in which to say
That I’ve closed the door on places, and closed the door on fun,
But to close the door on you, my child, is the hardest thing I’ve done.

Now, I’ll wonder what you’re doing, and miss you more each day,
Remembering all our laughter while the sunlight lit our way,
But the clouds are hovering over and they’ve got me on the run,
For to close the door on you, my child, is the hardest thing I’ve done.

And don’t let them tell you that I didn’t care,
For there’d sooner be no trees, no earth, no air,
Your mom & I, we tried yet we couldn’t make it right,
So they’re going to take you far away from me.

Sweet memories are flowing, a little girl I see….
To take you from your father is the price they’ve put on me,
For they’ve given me no choices and my back is to the sun,
And to close the door on you, my child, is the hardest thing I’ve done.