To me, he was the original Man in Black,

not knowing

of Johnny Cash’s persona at that time,

and it still being a couple of years away before

I became truly aware of The Stranglers,

He was the Man in Black

who looked like a machine,

sleek, disturbing, powerful,

like a starving Panther

on the prowl,

circling the village,

and waiting, fur bristling in the wind,

patiently for the right moment to

attack.

 

Bryan and I, cousins of six and seven,

sat spellbound and watched him

terrorise the young Princess

and I wanted an R2D2,

I made do with the action figures

from Preedy’s in King’s Heath

for many years,

although I never did get a Luke

or the heroic Space Pirate.

 

It seems strange to do this

without you by my side tonight,

we shall not be six or seven tonight,

instead my cousin, we are solar systems apart

and age has withered the ability

to fight the Empire

on the same evening,

I shall think of you fondly,

as I always do my brother in arms,

and I know that whilst you are working

late, in your mind that train

to Leamington Spa

shall be the

Millennium Falcon

in the dark.

 

Dedictated to Bryan Beck

Ian D. Hall 2015