Okay- I was raised Catholic- maybe not practicing weekly catholic but still have those tendencies in me. Today's service just had me amazed/shocked/awestruck/emotional the entire time. It was loud, spirited, sad, frenetic, and bursting with joy/pain/love all at the same time. It was amazing to watch the choir sing and bring the whole church to life. People were standing, hands were raising in the air to the music, people were singing, babies were sleeping, tears were flowing, smiles everywhere followed by tears. I couldn't begin to do it justice describing it. there was a couple of songs followed by a lady that read something (not sure what it was but sounded like an open letter from someone to the family). next came a pastor who reminded us to share in the joy that was kenneth. Three people spoke in front of me,a family member, a friend of the family, a friend from school. Then me.....I was shaking like a leaf- I thought for sure my knees were going to give out. I tested the water at the very beginning--introduced myself, and explained that I have been lucky enough to have both kids for senior english and then said that I didn't know who this quiet Kenneth was that the people in front of me kept saying because he was never quiet for me. It seemed like the whole church laughed. So I went with what I'd written.

Final draft:

Tell all my mourners
To mourn in red --
Cause there ain't no sense
In my bein' dead.
Langston Hughes,
(1902 – 1967)

As I sat at my computer I thought to myself what can I say? What can I say about this boy? My third boy in three years. Another one lost, another senior not graduating. Another empty seat. But this is what I can say. I never once saw Kenneth in a bad mood. He may have had days when he didn’t feel so great but I could always look over at him and see a smile or hear a joke. He was a full of joy. He always liked to play with my name- called me Tameezy. I later found out that he’d written an entire rap around my name. In the same respect he could never say my coteacher’s name. Instead of saying kichty he’d call her Mrs Kichy. It quickly changed to itchy. I would hear across the room itchy come here! And I would have to laugh. Tameezy wasn’t as bad as itchy!

He would always get into fart contests in the middle of class. Fart contests! Who was it that said seniors were adults? He’d look at me, put his finger on his mouth to say shush and then try to blame it on someone else. He would sit at his table and run rap lines all period yet somehow get his work done and done well.

I remember he would always call one of the girls chocolate- said if you poked her liquid chocolate would just pour out. I looked at him with a raised eyebrow and he told me “Oh, don’t worry tameezie, you are chocolate too- you’re just white chocolate like an inside out oreo cookie. Next thing he said- “See now I am hungry!” I could never fuss at him because I was always laughing.

He was a happy spirit- always had joy in his heart and mischief in his eye. He loved a good prank. I think it’s so important that we remember Kenneth for how he lived not he was taken from us. He was a great person that brought much needed laughter and joy to many of us.
I wanted to end by reading one more poem-

Remember by Christina Georgina Rossetti

Remember me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,
Nor I half turn to go, yet turning stay.
Remember me when no more, day by day,
You tell me of our future that you planned:
Only remember me; you understand
It will be late to counsel then or pray.
Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that I once had,
Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

I had a couple of ladies make agreement noises and I even got four or five laughs out of the congregation. they were right there with me. I just looked at his mom and sister the whole time. I even had two people kiss me after! they kissed me!