A tribute to my friend, the late Leon Coffey.

Dear Leon,

It seems I am never on time, my friend..

He was the first person I met on those Islands and a friend etched into the fabric of those formative years. Etched into nearly every memory I have of the most inspirational year of my life.

Upon first impression, Leon was the happiest, most positive person one could ever hope to meet.. Fiercely intelligent and funny, it seemed like a light followed wherever he went.
It was he who helped me feel welcome and at home in my first attempt at wandering to a foreign place. He was like a brother. And like brothers, after so much time, a person begins to know and understand the other for who they truly are, and not just who they seem. Though outwardly full of life and smiles, if you looked hard enough you could see all the shadows eating away inwardly... Spiralling downward and struggling with the acceptance that a terminal illness sought to claim him long before his time.

To further describe Leon without somehow diminishing the luminescence surrounding his terribly troubled life would take a talent of descriptive prose that I wouldn´t dare.

My last memory of Leon is of talking with him outside a pub,
"When I get back from this six week trip to the southern islands I will be leaving for the prarries within a day or two, Leon."
He gave me a hug and gripped my hand.
"Don´t leave without saying goodbye Joe.. Don´t fuck off and leave me here without first saying goodbye."
"I won´t."

When I returned I searched everywhere, high and low. I searched and searched.. door to door from one friend´s place to another looking for him.
I could not find him.
My boat was setting sail.. I had to go.
He had no email or telephone, only a lonely post office box.
I had meant to write him, and even return to that northern archipelago for a long overdue visit; and I often thought about it over the years but always seemed to put it off.
That was the last time I had seen or spoken with Leon.


..It seems I am never on time, my friend.

Yesterday morning my friend Leon was found in the ocean - alone, and free at last.



A brand new baby was

Leon Coffey

born yesterday, just in time.
Papa cried; baby cried - said your tears are like mine.
I heard some words from a friend on the phone, didn´t sound so good.
Said the doctor gave him two weeks to live - I´d give him more if I could.

Down the middle drops one more grain of sand.
They say that new life makes losing life easier to understand.
And words are kind, they help ease the mind - I´ll miss my old friend.
And though you gotta go we´ll keep a piece of your soul -

One goes out, one comes in.
- (Jack Johnson)


Goodbye Leon.
Vaya con Dios, brother.
Joseph

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