Poem for Walter, on the occasion of his memorial celebration You understood what it takes to build a person like you. Materials such as loss, heartbreak, confusion, crushing separation and an early awareness Of the knowledge of good and evil. Yet you organised all of this within A quiet certainty of being loved. You rarely spoke of any of this, but you always knew which side was up. This meant there were other things you knew, too: Such as how German beer was the best (but you rarely drank it yourself); Why every single person you met was worth talking to (but you didn’t try to impress them). How you could make a difference by holding the space for a child, Simply by listening and being kind. How to be interested, and free of prejudice. You made loyalty and fidelity look easy. Sometimes it seemed as if you lived in a condition of simplicity, As if life was straightforward; As if you knew for certain we are all ok, as if you knew You can always catch the last train home. Alyss Thomas (niece) February 2017