The curtain climbs over me every morning I donsa国际传媒檛 know why Isa国际传媒檓 so immunized against reforming

I went to bed last night sa国际传媒� unthinkingly sa国际传媒� in my Tragically Hip T-shirt. Sky blue with a bold sa国际传媒淗sa国际传媒� and sa国际传媒淧sa国际传媒� framing a silhouette of Gord Downie in an iconic pose standing in place of the sa国际传媒淚.sa国际传媒�

I awoke to , undoubtedly pre-prepared months ago, expected, but no less hard to read: Downie was gone.

Conventional journalism directs me to backfill here; to recount his brave battle with inoperable brain cancer and the definitive Canadianness that defined his band.

I refuse. You donsa国际传媒檛 need it. I donsa国际传媒檛 want it. I want to write about words. About my fascination with them. About my awe at the way Gord could sculpt them into constructions of great and terrible and at times indecipherable beauty. About my ineffectual struggle at this moment to forge them into something that does justice to his gift.

The highest and best use of words is to connect, inspire and understand. As cynical as most are about journalists, that remains the reason why I, and so many of my peers, got into this business. Gord worked that, lived it, on a higher level.

We donsa国际传媒檛 go anywhere

Just on trips

We havensa国际传媒檛 seen a thing

We still donsa国际传媒檛 know where it is

Itsa国际传媒檚 a safe mistake

A wise man once said sa国际传媒渨hen the sunlight hits the olive oil donsa国际传媒檛 hesitate.sa国际传媒� Gord spoke about art and truth and life and how they intertwine and how their pursuit gives one both perspective and purpose. Wesa国际传媒檙e all given the ability to discern right from wrong; to know whatsa国际传媒檚 important and what is not. Wesa国际传媒檙e all given tools and opportunities with which we can learn, grow, understand sa国际传媒� make the world a little bit better. But too often, most of us remain in the car, driving where we are told to go, experiencing what we are told to experience, expecting the expected, seeking out that which reinforces our biases instead of challenging them.

Gordsa国际传媒檚 work urged us to plunge in deeper than what the tour guide would suggest, to take roads less travelled and listen to voices seldom heard.

All with the too-often lonely goal of creating community.

The surface is green and the dark interweaves

In a lonely iridescence

Itsa国际传媒檚 terribly deep and the cold is complete

And it only lacks your presence and nothing else

One of the most enduring tenets of the Hip gospel is that they are a uniquely Canadian treasure, that other countries simply sa国际传媒渄onsa国际传媒檛 get.sa国际传媒� Isa国际传媒檝e always wondered why. Sure Gord spoke in cultural idioms like Clayoquot Sound and Bobby Orr largely unique to Canada, but the underlying themes of Carpe Diem and empathy were universal.

Life is a privilege. Itsa国际传媒檚 not about getting the T-shirt. Itsa国际传媒檚 about making your life your own iconic pose.

Step out of your world container. Make this world a better place.

My balloons may be filled with rain right now, but the inspiration of this poet need never fade.

Said, sa国际传媒榓insa国际传媒檛 life a grand and Isa国际传媒檓 in awe of ysa国际传媒檃llsa国际传媒�

Isa国际传媒檝e dropped into my haunted bunk

Been to your touchless times out where the watersa国际传媒檚 drying

Been past the sa国际传媒楴o Attractions Past This Pointsa国际传媒� sign

What we have here are all flaws in progress

Where all songs are one song and that song is Donsa国际传媒檛 Forget

禄 John McKinley writes for Reach him at editor@vifreedaily.com