• 2:51

Jacqueline Sonja Brooks was a beautiful, bold, and kindhearted spirit, beloved by many people.  She was the first woman of color Homecoming Queen in her little Ohio town.  While driving her new car home from the showroom when she was just thirty nine years old, the wheel of the car came off and her car careened over a cliff and Jacqueline lost her life.  She could never imagine herself becoming old and for years her shining spirit has always brought me many new and wonderful things. The most life changing gift she brought me are two lovely songs in a dream. I got up when I realized she was speaking to me and plunked down on a piano the tune while singing the lyrics on my little home recorder.  The songs, one of which I present here, Can It Reallly Be, were in my very first feature documentary, Lost Control, that I produced and directed concerning the problems of drug and opioid addiction.  The film garnered me an Academy Award Nomination.  I shall always miss my sister and always ask her, Can it really be you've gone away?