A short poem about the tragic and terribly sad circumstances in which Janis Joplin died.

With sessions complete on October 3rd,
Pearl and her bandmates take drinks well earned
But when the band and their lovers leave her sight,
Pearl is alone again under blue moonlight.

Pearl aches for David, feeling raw and spurned;
Is he gone for good, never to return?
No friends visit Pearl at the hotel this night
To offer comfort or provide respite.

So a needle delivers the balm Pearl seeks,
But this devil’s kiss won’t soothe a heart so weak;
Pearl crashes to the floor and cannot fight –
It’s a batch too strong she’s taken tonight.

Pearl dies believing her love was not returned,
Convinced she was unwanted in this world;
Yet a note lay waiting in the morning light,
A message, if read, to set things right.

A telegram that bears these tender words:
“Meet me in Kathmandu,” her David urged.
“Miss you. It’s not the same alone tonight.
Love you, Janis. More than you know. Sleep tight.”

Janis Joplin died of a heroin overdose on 4 October 1970 in Los Angeles. She was found in her Hollywood hotel room by her road manager after failing to appear for the final recording session of the Pearl album that day. The following morning, a telegram addressed to her from David Niehaus was discovered at the hotel. One can only wonder whether things might have turned out differently had she received it in time.