You had a laugh so honest
And a smile so arresting
But all that sounds fake
In a eulogistic poem
Sounds like rose tinted glasses
Sounds like beauty now passed
But I’m not talking from my arse

But your laugh is well known
Your talent never disputed
Always revered.
What we failed to notice was your strength

To laugh and smile and banish
In the face of what you lived
To make us all feel welcome
Despite what you hid
To play, create, inspire
Whether you knew or not
Shows an unwavering strength of character
Which I know I,
Did not afford.
And, Chris that breaks my heart,
But by f**k it makes me proud
Because it proves what I believe
About good people in the world

So here’s my tribute to you
For the laughs and all the fun
For all the japes, and scrapes and shouldn’t have dones
But mostly for the one
Who wanted something more
The one who made time to chat
Easily, no chore
The one who believed in music
Its power and its grace
The one who kept it to himself
A part of Medway, sacrificed.

By Louise Micklewright

Medway has lost a light, but we’ll play and party in your name.