Michael Jackson's Memorial Service

Among many moving moments at the Memorial Service, I suppose the most emotional was his daughter's words right at the end. Unrehearsed and apparently right out of the blue, she just got up and told us all how much she missed her father and how very much she loved him. Unfortunately, there are many of us who know how she feels after losing a father.

I can't put a video of that on here, so this is a video of Queen Latifah reading a beautiful poem about Michael written by one of my favourite writers, Maya Angelou...



We Had Him

by Doctor Maya Angelou

Beloveds, now we know that we know nothing, now that our bright and shining star can slip away from our fingertips like a puff of summer wind.

Without notice, our dear love can escape our doting embrace. Sing our songs among the stars and walk our dances across the face of the moon.

In the instant we learn that Michael is gone, we know nothing. No clocks can tell our time and no oceans can rush our tides with the abrupt absence of our treasure.

Though we are many, each of us is achingly alone, piercingly alone.

Only when we confess our confusion can we remember that he was a gift to us and we did have him.

He came to us from the creator, trailing creativity in abundance.

Despite the anguish of life, he was sheathed in mother love and family love, and survived and did more than that.

He thrived with passion and compassion, humor and style. We had him whether we know who he was or did not know, he was ours and we were his.

We had him, beautiful, delighting our eyes.

He raked his hat aslant over his brow and took a pose on his toes for all of us.

And we laughed and stomped our feet for him.

We were enchanted with his passion because he held nothing. He gave us all he had been given.

Today in Tokyo, beneath the Eiffel Tower, in Ghana's Black Star Square.

In Johannesburg and Pittsburgh, in Birmingham, Alabama, and Birmingham, England

We are missing Michael Jackson.

But we do know we had him, and we are the world.