August 2005

For Chris

The infant year’s boisterous mood

Falters at the shocking news;

This tragic end defeating the beginnings we all looked forward to.

Our optimism consigned to cold storage.

As we contemplate the space he left.

The choicest blend of man and friend,

Of colleague and of boss,

Who beyond the profit and the loss

Could make you smile at his wry questions,

And marvel at his memory of your small talk.

His patience and his gentle walk

Showed us that strutting was not the only business strategy.

Grounded and at ease,

His body language inspired a richer loyalty

Often sought but rarely won.

An August night in Sydney,

At the water’s edge;

The meal, the gossip and the laughter,

The book you gave us,

And the magic of a long friendship refreshed

The gentle sound of sea and surf….

For we, who surf for insight of the rarer kind,

And with it project the brand inside the mind,

Note well one lesson Chris’s life imparts

The best brands of all live in our hearts.