ONE.

I wish to bear witness
To the passing of Alex,
Whose ability was rivalled
Only by his uncompromising lifestyle;
In fact he taught me that
In the face of those who would suppose
To know better,
You should know better:

Be fuller in yourself
When deflation ails you
And secure in your moods
Although they may pursue you sullenly;
Fresher than the breath
Of well wishers dishing out advice
And delightful
Even when displeasure stretches ahead.

Be your own vessel
Even when the pressure of weight
Breaks heavily against the waves
Of conformity’s sea,
Or water breaches your door
With formality’s inability
To ally a why to a wherefore
When you want more from your manners.

Stand the banners
That praise and favour
Handed out by family members
Or clan vendors and tribal rivals;
Break your own branch
And plant it deeper than demands
And hang from it your
Own unfurled flag of thanks.

Be grateful of heroes
And champions who have granted
Your life more options
Than the vilified have offered,
And in praise of
The faithful who trod flat grass
In untreated fields just to show the masses
A clean set of heels

And displayed to them
The reality of a different path,
With its pitfalls and furrows,
And unquenchable accomplishments
That follow
Once its end has been reached
And a seat of relief
Has been set for your rest.

Be the one who travels after,
And crafts their own transport;
Who views the scenery
With keener eyes than spy-glasses
And takes the passage because
The cost of not doing so would cast
Your soul to the coalface
To break against its veins;

Reign in the land
Of the last one standing
And brandish gain and loss modestly,
Honestly making a mark
Of promise on whatever dotted line
You find foremost,
And when next you mull the options
Regret not your portion.