Jimmy Wayne Francis A Requiem 

It’s year 2 since you left 

And I still feel you 

When I cook to feed the family 

I feel your presence in the kitchen 

No hard recipes for much of anything 

Let intuition and taste guide you through 

You rarely measured after the first time cooking something 

Unless it was something that required exactness 

You preferred to let the food speak to you through taste and let it guide you into what it wanted to be 

You were always glad to lend a hand 

Always there for everyone that knew you 

I can’t count the number of people who have said he helped me replace this or that 

He helped me fix this 

Lately people say I look like you 

I never really heard that before you were gone 

Now it’s like there’s a Jimmy shaped hole I’m being molded to fill 

I’m pleased with that I’m not as much of a jack of all trades as you were 

But if I’m half the man you were in your latter years 

I’d be more than pleased with that  

I’ve started creating and saving recipes 

Like I wish you had done with more things you made 

But we’ll start off a new tradition 

God I wish I could hear you say you were proud of me again 

Becoming a better man than you is my Everest 

And I’ll be climbing that Everest till the day I die 

I still struggle with opening up and trusting people though  

I’m not sure how you did that so well 

You could walk in a room and make friends with anyone 

Your smile brightened up any room that was graced by it 

Your example leads me to this day 

In some ways I’m more open and vulnerable than you 

But it sucks because my guiding compass to the man I wanted to be is gone 

And all I’m left with is memories 

And they’re just not enough 

Not when all I want is to see you and feel your arms around me instead 

You left a Jimmy shaped hole behind and I’m trying to fill it 

While becoming my own self 

I miss you dad and so does everyone else 

Though not forever 

One day we’ll be reunited 

And I can’t wait for that glorious day 

Until we meet again 

I’ll keep pushing out of your shadow while still trying to fill it 

Everest has fallen and I feel lost still  

But I’m slowly rebuilding my compass to lead the way 

To be the man you always knew I could be 

I wish to be your requiem honoring you in every way that I can.