Rock Ranger

Rock Ranger

equal parts peace and promise

animate talent louder than bombs

& a pure hurricane-chasing heart

full throttle classic rock ranger

you were an exhilarating surprise

& fused unbridled passion in your stride

this extant twinkling passes by slowly

without your patient dreams dancing

& joyous flashes of musical quick fingers

on the back of a postcard from the road

it simply reads JS, we wish you were here

come back home Jay

                into the light

for you the pursuit of rainbows

on the other side of midnight

will never expire

absence will not quell your golden voice

it is absolute truth you will never be gone

in our bones your music remains

 **

I met Jay Smith twice.  Friendly banter ensued but mostly it me waxing poetic about his performances and him being graciously thankful I enjoyed it.  There may have been a pun or two in there as well, not from me though, surprisingly.

I saw him play several times, on stage with Gordie Sampson, Matt Mays and on his own.  I admired his natural ease, his raw talent, his love of music fiercely evident in his on stage antics and in his voice.

His passing made me profoundly sad.  Too young, too much left to do, see, write and places to play and people to wildly inspire.  Too much living for him to do.  I was so moved at how quickly our incredible tight knit music community here on the East Coast and Canada wide rallied together in both mourning and in celebration of their fallen brother.  I have the utmost respect for Matt Mays for finishing his tour despite their tragic loss.  It takes good humans to carry on and for that Matt and his band have my infinite admiration.

Regardless of the reasons Jay left this world, he awoke in all of us a certain kind of reverence, a great deal of happiness and the music that will continue to color the world and represent his truest essence.  For that, as a fan, I am grateful.

I attended a benefit concert on Sunday evening in support of his little ones, his family.  His musical brothers and sisters filled up the stage with emotionally riveting performances.  It was a love fest.  A celebration.  And, even though for much of the time tears came, there were warm moments of remembrance and tribute from his sister, his wife and his band. 

I’ve been trying to articulate for days what that was like to be a small part of that but I really still can’t.  So, I wrote a poem.  I’ve read over a hundred times and it feels cliché to me because there truly aren’t words beautiful enough for Jay.  But, I tried.

It is difficult to watch people lose their dearest friend, their son, brother, husband and father.  It is difficult to know someone so admired was in pain.  It is simply difficult to lose the things and people we love.  The trick is to know how to celebrate them when they are gone from us.  I will continue to listen and celebrate, for his life, his memory and those who loved him most.  And judging from the crazy amount of love he generated I am certain his gifts will be paid forward, time and again.

In propinquity,

Nic

Jay Smith

1978 - 2013

Rest peacefully, Rock Ranger