Death must not find us thinking that we die

Martin Carter's famous poem feels more personal, more visceral, as I get older. Sad news from Guyana this morning that David de Caires, the founder and editor of the Stabroek News, has died. He would surely have been an extraordinary figure had he lived in any place, at any time. In Guyana in the last forty years, he was a hero. He was a champion of his people's right to be heard, to speak the truth and know the truth. I am immensely grateful that I knew him, and wish I had known him better. Many tributes will follow, from many people. This morning, I am thinking of him and reading Martin Carter.

...even now the greener leaf explodes
sun brightens stone
and all the river burns.