Each day we all lived was one less from the tally, As we straddle two worlds, one foot in the grave, Between life and death. But who wants to die? From the moment we are born, we start to unwind; The clock is running, but we ignore the ticking And look to the sky.

Thankfully, we can’t yet hear the watch. Deaf to the rhythm, death is the beat, But did we shuffle off this mortal coil or shuffle our feet? Did we dance the conga or stay in our seats? Did we leave the world still standing, Or standing at our feet?

Tick followed tock on this, our mortal clock; You danced to the beat and followed your heart. With your passing, the silence is deafening. It would be easy to speak of opportunities missed, But life was never wasted on you.

Thus, Randolf, This is a salute to you.

In loving memory of Randolph Wernhardt

1962 – 2026