Think where man's glory most begins and ends,
And say my glory was I had such friends.
-- William Butler Yeats
Adam Redmon
I miss you.One of my best and oldest friends passed away a few weeks ago. Though we disagreed on religion we shared many passions and interests. He was a great man whom I was often jealous of. He was an accomplished actor and director in the sole theatre in my hometown. Adam achieved a degree in english literature and worked as teacher in our community. Though loquacious in style he created picturesque poems and fresh fantasy stories. He achieved much that I hoped to achieve and set the bar for those around him. A natural born leader, Adam had many friends of differing backgrounds and interests. He was not a social chameleon, but able to present himself openly and genuinely to others. Many things to many people he was reliable and trustwrothy, the soul of selflessness. He gave to us all one of the greatest gifts he could give; greater than time or money, he gave his love. Adam was a counselor to his friends, a guide to his community, and an ideal to me. I miss him everyday and without him my life is a colder and darker place.
In memory of Adam Redmon I present one of his poems, selected by his mother for his funeral and one that I feel gives a precious insight into the man he was.
Sailing the Sea of Life
Ebb and flow,
High tide and low,
This is the nature of life,
It pushes and pulls us to and fro.
For some life's water's are choppy,
And will forever be,
But for some the ocean calms, and thus ends the strife,
While traversing the life's stormy sea.
There are those whose journey through the great expanse seems calm,
And it would seem those folk hold life in their palms,
Count their station good luck they ought,
For they could be like those many sailors that depend on their generous alms.
In truth though, the sea of life pushes and pulls us all,
For every rise there surely is a fall,
Thus we should give thanks for all life's prods, pay heed to his thought,
For there will come a time we must answer death's call.
So let us be content with the eddies and waves of the deep,
And to truths, morals and goals keep,
For these three things are to us an anchor, compass, and sail,
And they will see us through to the end of life's sea,
When our souls cross that great vale.
Below is a comedy video created by Adam Redmon and a group of poets and actors he assembled to enlighten our small community, The Shadow Scribes.
