Death in the Garden of Life (A tribute dedicated to Dominic James)

Photo courtesy of The Jamaica Gleaner

He was a flower bud about to bloom

With just enough room to blossom

And bring the world to its knees

He was like a tree planted by the river

Just reaching full maturity

Ready to bring forth fruits because his roots were never dry

He was always fed on the experiences of life in that of good and bad times

But he was still just a young lad in spite

You water a plant because your wish is to see it grows

Never to whither and dies

But to see it rise

Everyday it's molded to stand firm

And to be a lantern to other plants around

Even to be hard but never to be of a hardened heart

He was a garden hero

Now a Guardian watching over the garden in which he grew

When I think of this my mind runs wild

That death is like a curious child

Intrigued by everything

But anything it touches dies

Or like an adult

With the need to possess everything he loves

So he passes by just like the regular passer-by

And picks a flower to beautify

Enhancing himself by breaking other hearts around

With the product of what was once a seed that budded beautifully from the ground