A Kind and Gentle Man

This was a man of gentle goodness,
A warm and gentle soul,
Kindness flowed like water,
Naturally from within.

This was a tortured man,
Pain known only to him,
Who touched all those he encountered
With polite grace, and dignity.

He was one who gave
When he had little,
Trusted, when no one else would,
Became a pillar of strength
In difficult times,
For those he loved;
And strangers, alike.

This was a kind and gentle man,
And we are proud to call him Father,
Proud to call him friend,
And we now know
That he is in a better place,
In better hands,
At peace.

The Measure of a Man

Just what is the measure of a great man ?

Is it courage, check.
Is it fairness, check.
Is it love, check.
Is it humour.  check.
Is it compassion, check.
Is it leadership... check.

Head held high,
Cane in hand,
Chin up,
Ever reaching forward,
Toward equality and fairness.

A kind smile, piercing eyes
And steadfast voice for the less fortunate.
Fighting a battle we all must now join him in.
The battle of compassion over cynicism,
Optimism over fear,
Sharing over greed,
Love, over anger and animosity.
Freedom over oppressive regression.
Yes my friends, the battle for Canadian tradition.

This man, just one voice,
Spoke for many who had no voice,
Inspired many to action.
This man has left a mark
In the hearts of all of us.

What is the measure of a great man.
Look no further than Jack Layton.
For he was a real Canadian.

Tears

They do not rinse the pain away,

Do not stop the clock,

Do not listen to opinion,

Will not stop to talk,

They only drain a cavity,

Between the heart and soul,

A mirror made of memory,

Out of your control,

They are a gift,

I think you'll see,

Without which we would drown,

Worth no more than one small smile,

No less than one fresh frown,

Tears just drop because they can,

Flow because they must,

A river beautiful and free,

Everyone can trust,

So next time you see teardrops fall,

Just like they had eyes,

Remember it's so laughs can grow,

In between the cries.