Soul of An Angel (for Dike Omeje, 1972 - 2007)
I saw his face
I looked in his eyes
And discovered a truth
Before me, previously unseen.
He smiled
And said hello
I reciprocated
And he took under his charge
As he prepared to fly
To the summit of success.
This was a man truly unique,
Like a protective older brother
Shielding all from worldly tempests
To preserve the past
And witness a future
Unfolding......
The sun rises
Today is another chance
To put things right
That once were wrong.
He saw the good
In everything and everyone
Possessing the soul of an angel
He was the best
The best anyone could ever be......
You're always in my thoughts
I loved you so much
And will always love you
For as long as I draw breath, and even beyond.
You were so brave
A true soldier of life,
Crushing all adversity
Generous and caring.
We're all richer
For having you in our lives.
I'll miss you more
Than I could ever say
You were so strong
That strength exploded out of you
A true inspiration to us all
Thank you, for now and for always
I love you, my friend.
(C) NZ, 2007.
Comments
Ah, lovely images being
Ah, lovely images being portrayed. He sounds like he was one of a kind, sorely missed! If you don'tmind me asking, how di he die? x
Soul of An Angel
Yes he is missed tremendously and I do think of him a lot. He was a pivotal influence on me in so many ways and I feel honoured and privileged to have known such a person as he. I was at a bit of a crossroads point in my own life shortly after his passing. I pretty much had to choose between a career in law and a career in writing. He taught me that you are around for only a very short time and you have to make the best of every moment you've got and that's why I chose writing because it's something I've wanted to do for a very long time. 21 years after first starting out, I'm finally beginning to get somewhere and I'd be a fool not to carry on. I owe it to not only myself but to him too and that's one of the key things that keeps me going. I also know it's what he'd want me to do. Even now, 2 years after his death, I haven't regretted that decision for a second and never will. Thanks for your great feedback, I really appreciate it!
after images
he died of cancer, Karla, he was 34 or 35, at the peak of his talents as a poet... Just vanished like a comet passing through.
Ah I see, well I hope he
Ah I see, well I hope he suffered as little as possible! The universe is full of passing comet's, each with it's own individual purpose, meaning and relations! He is obviously still shinninng!! x
No doubt about that!
No doubt about that!
Beautiful ...long live Dike
Beautiful ...long live Dike
Soul of an Angel
Hi Nabila,
Thank you very much for your swift and positive reply. As you may recall, I wrote this poem just days after his death and the emotions I was experiencing were, as a result, still very raw as I last saw him alive just 3 days before his death. This version is ever so slightly edited from the January 2007 original as I felt one of the lines in it was a bit cliched. However, I only had to change one word in the whole piece to make it better so that was quite fortunate really.
Thanks again for your enthusiasm and support, it's really kind of you. I only hope that as my career progresses I can do his influence on me and his encouragement of my career some real justice.
Thank you!
Soul of An Angel (for Dike Omeje, 1972 - 2007)
As the majority of you know, Dike was a very big noise on the poetry scene, being a wonderfully prolific writer and performer not just in Manchester but nationwide. His untimely death on 13 January 2007 at the age of just 34 affected all of us deeply. In my case, I felt particularly saddened because he really helped my career tremendously. Due to his tireless efforts, in terms of not just performance poetry but also in terms of getting published (the latter of which he was around just about long enough to see happen in October 2006), I evolved from being the most nervous performer on earth when we first met in February 2001 to being a really confident poet, hungry for more and more opportunities. I can't express fully in words how much I still miss him and think about him, but this piece is my way of paying my respects and showing my appreciation to him.
Dike, thank you for everything you did not just for me but for everyone we knew.
It really isn't the same without you. We miss you, man.