FOR ALISTER
Sometimes you missed the beat Sometimes we lost sight of the melody Which flattens the chord
That overlays the rhythmic foundation.
It would have been unwitting
That cadence of the Simon/Tobias ‘Folksy Jingles’, written generations ago, Would have morphed, someday,
Into elements of a tribute to one of the most
illustrious
Satellites in our Galaxy.
But unlike “… the Old Lamp Lighter” Alister McIntyre not only made “The Night a little
brighter”
His thoughts transcended our world and its insulari
ties in so many different ways.
From modest beginnings
In his homeland Grenada
He soared into the clouds of
High profiledom, academia, Diplomacy, Statehood, family man and Mentor with distinction “…beyond Our Fathers’ wildest dreams” without Ever losing the common touch nor the Zen for new exploration’
It was this zest for learning and yearning
That mast the sails which floated the ship Propelling him to further glory,
Even as destiny’s lamp burnt dimmer and dimmer in
the distant horizon,
Despite the ravages lurking in the hearts of tigers In the fluttering wings of the bald eagle
While pulsating in the umbilical cord
Of the unborn. Yes master Navigator of troubled waters Sometimes you lost sight of the formal melody Only to create your own harmony
While wading in the temporizing embrace Of your beloveds and dancing to the rhythms Of your own symphony.
Yes master Navigator of uncharted waters Sometimes you even missed the beat and moored
your riggings
Too close to the edge of shark-infested lagoons But survived through the graces of Unseen, Unknown, Unsolicited … Deus ex machina
Tonight there shall be no tears
Only fragments of joy scattered in your pathway Hoping that only goodness and flowers will blossom In that space you left behind.