'These dreams of mine'

I honestly don't think she knows how good she is.

Sat at the bar tonight. Hadn't planned on coming, but I didn't want to go home. And somehow, for some reason, I just needed to hear her sing. Maybe it was that terrible shooting, I don't know. I just felt like I should be here.

So I sat at the bar, watched the girls, talked to Mike, who's here all the time, and to Andrea, who came later. Robinella did her thing, as she always does, the beauty of a thousand summer sunsets encapsulated in that voice.

Andrea wanted to hear "Dress Me Up, Dress Me Down," so Mike asked for it. Robin sang "Left, Right, Back, Together" and I swayed to and fro, amazed that someone this talented lives right here in our neck of the woods.

"You know, Mike," I said, "I've paid $65 to see people sing before, and here I pay 5 bucks. I feel like I'm ripping her off."

Mike nodded. I lost myself in the beauty of Robin's voice.

Wanted to hear something sad, so I walked up to ask her to sing one of her originals, "These Dreams of Mine."

"So are we going to sing tonight, or what?" she says.

I grin, absolutely amazed, and say, "Well, yeah, if you want to."

So we did. I had to pinch myself, still unable to believe I am on the same stage with this kind of talent.

After "Amanda," she sang my song, and I floated away somewhere, that place to which I always ascend when she makes her music. I tried, as always, to stop time, but it ended, as it must.

I walked out into the summer night, thanking God for bringing this special soul into our midst, for giving her the voice of an angel.

Thanks again, Robin. You're the best.