In Memoriam, One Year On

In Memory of
Rowan Barrett
1973 - 2008

etched forever in my mind, the joy we shared
on one night's chanceful encounter
the quintessential mate of everyone you met
and they were proud to call you friend

but none was more honoured than this stranger,
to have simply met and shook your hand
and engage in cheerful conversation

among the festive crowd we were connected
dancing and laughing like children
in heart filled celebration
living a precious moment for our friend

without any qualms or social boundary
my life was more enriched
by the reach of your friendship and humanity

one night, but a moment in my life
that i would gladly exchange if it would bring you back
taken too soon, your time too short
no greater man whose passing can cement a memory

know that you are greatly missed
by those whom you deeply loved
and those, like me, you unknowingly touched

An Explanation of Design

As promised, my second posting will offer an explanation of the design I have adopted for the header of this blog.

The first element is the photograph, which I took with my handy Nokia E65 mobile phone at Garden Island, Western Australia. Nothing too professional, but it works. I photoshop'd it only by stretching it to the required dimensions and then layering the text. The original photo is here:

This photo is one of three favourites that I captured that evening. I may write about the reasons for that in a later posting, but it is all about the importance of friendship.

On the top right of the header, my initials (cdm) are printed in Celtic script with my name underneath. I have traced much of my genealogy and the Gaelic/Celtic/Norse connections are strong. This is particularly evidenced by my roots back in the Shetland Islands situated between Scotland and the Arctic.

One of the native languages of Shetland, and it's sister the Orkneys, is Norn, a language almost lost to time. The phrase at the base of the header is written in Norn and translates to be:

Dark is in [the] chimney, light still in [the] heather, the time is [right that] the guest is gone

I loved the phrase when I saw it, as it speaks highly of the importance of hospitality and home in balance with the natural course of time. It was perfectly matched for the feelings I had when taking the photograph and the happenings of that time.

A little piece of serendipity, I dare say.