A Lexicon of JSA- for his birthday

A       The Andrew Scholar of Canterbury Quad

B       The Castellan of Blackroot

C       The Colonel of Cadets

D       The Denizen of D2

E        A Fully Paid Up Member of The British Empire

F        Fingers in Pies (Lots of)

G       Little Green Books (Essential Reading Matter)

H       The History Man who married his History Woman

I        The Inspiration of our Enthusiasms

J        The Jovial Master of Connections

K       The Keeper of the Archives

L        The Lichfield Street Archaeologist

M       The Governor of Mayfield

N       Naseby’s New Model Neighbour in the Saab

O       The Catalyst of Equal Opportunity

P       The President of Pipes

Q       The Distiller of News from all Quarters

R       The Clubbable Rotarian

S        The Commissioner of Scouts

T       The Merchant Taylorian

U       The Unsurpassed of Self Deviating Narratives

V       The Vade-Mecum of Marian Life

W       The Walsall Observer

X       The Defining Standard for EXtra Mural Activities

Y       The Serial Yomper of Cader Idris

Z       The Very Zest of Men

For Andy and for all who loved him and his music.

It’s just like when someone

Leaves the party before you,

And bereft you stand, the words

You’ve always wanted to say,

Rehearsed but still enveloped,

Inside your head.

Or when that friend who joined

Your trip to manhood, and you

Choose diverging roads,

And as he leaves, you hear

That minor third, and fear

What-if you’ll lose sight

Across the miles or years

of forever?

But more for me it’s like

A loop that never ends,

Of Paradise Lost and Found but Lost again

As he who made your words soar

And touch the sweet spot of tragic happiness

Has left us,

Has left us,

Has left us with that music.