Category: Love

We were a clan
about 20 siblings, cousins, cousins in law
each year there was at least one learning,
sometimes two or three.
Each year he was there
two nights a week – after work
in the summer evenings
teaching, willing, cajoling, urging kids to swim.
–  The city as good citizen
the municipal pool closed to the public
available free of charge
the instructors voluntary – not even petrol money.

He was still there when we’d all learnt,
still there after we moved away.
Later I heard the story –
I was pleased I had … before the fangs of paedophilia sank
suspicion into such people.
He’d come to our town from another
to escape horror,
his young son had drowned,
he vowed to do what he could
to prevent other parents knowing that loss.

The vitriol was unbelievable sometimes,
difficult to comprehend one human being could write that of another
anyone would have thought he was,
a rapist,
child murderer,
paedophile,
multiple killer.
Everybody has a right to trial, he said
to be judged by 12 of their peers –
the accused may have been fitted up
or truly innocent –
however foregone conclusions seemed.

He saw it as a prerogative of democracy
and a duty
would have made more money – “shit loads more,” in other law
but if they asked, he would defend them.
Only once did he reply to attack :
… ‘ you are sewerage.. ..a filthy, reprehensible, despicable little man.’

‘ Dear Sir
I take strong exception to the last –
I’m 6 foot three and 220 lbs,
I am not little.’

Tertiary education was smaller then,
colleges and classes pro rata –
10 – 12 – 15 in a graduating year.
Perhaps the bonds were more intimate,
in those more intimate times
or he impressive –
lost,
in the prime of youth
doing what he loved …. in the mountains.
His classmates commissioned a work
1 m x .6m watercolour on canvas,
blue and white
moving boldly between
ascending infinity on double ropes and vertical ice
mounted on the library wall.
above a plaque proclaiming his passions –
life, climbing and science
and
perpetual memory and love by his classmates.