January 30, 2008
Darren’s passing has touched me deeply for so many reasons:
I had deep admiration for Darren because he was a truly noble young man. He was in my mind, the epitome of what I like to see in other young men and women. Besides having studied hard to reach his goal, he chose an honorable profession. He did, as Randy Striplin says; leave the world a better place. He was well-liked because he was pleasant, respectful, helpful, kind and exuded a quiet humility-yet he was strong. When I hear of young people dying of a drug overdose, gang shootout, or shot while committing a crime, or drunk driving; the consolation that first comes to my mind is that Darren did not go from any of the above. And the second is that he was doing something he loved. The sun caressed his face that day- I imagine.
I’ve made a crude attempt to translate one of my favorite Spanish language poems…..yes, he was loved. I did too.
Bea
EN PAZ
IN PEACE
Artifex vitae artifex sui
Muy cerca de mi ocaso, yo te bendigo, Vida,
Very near to my sunset, I bless you, Life
porque nunca me diste ni esperanza fallida,
because you never gave me nor failed hope,
ni trabajos injustos, ni pena inmerecida;
nor unjust labors, nor undeserved sorrows;
Porque veo al final de mi rudo camino
Because I see at the end of this crude road,
que yo fui el arquitecto de mi propio destino;
that I was the arquitect of my own destiny;
que si extraje la mieles o la hiel de las cosas,
if I extracted the nectar or bile from things,
fue porque en ellas puse hiel o mieles sabrosas:
t’was because, I placed the bile or sweet nectars in things;
cuando planté rosales coseché siempre rosas.
when I planted roses, I always harvested roses.
...Cierto, a mis lozanías va a seguir el invierno:
….True, winter will follow my exuberant youth:
¡mas tú no me dijiste que mayo fuese eterno!
Tho you never promised that May would be eternal!
Hallé sin duda largas las noches de mis penas;
I found, without doubt, eternal the evenings of my sorrows;
mas no me prometiste tan sólo noches buenas;
But you didn’t promise, only quiet nights;
y en cambio tuve algunas santamente serenas...
And In turn I had [some] saintly serene…..
Amé, fui amado, el sol acarició mi faz.
I loved, I was loved, the sun caressed my face.
¡Vida, nada me debes! ¡Vida, estamos en paz
Life!, you owe me nothing, Life! We are at peace.
Amado Nervo
Mexico’s beloved Poet Laureate
_______________________________________
Beatriz Ruiz de Chavez, Information Receptionist
Front Country Ranger District
San Bernardino National Forest
bchavez@fs.fed.us______________________________________
Author
Logged
WE WANT TO SEND OUR PRAYERS AND THOUGHTS TO THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND COWORKERS... MY SON WENT TO SCHOOL WITH HIM... AND WE ARE ALL FEELING VERY SAD AT THIS TIME... WE ARE SO SORRY AND WILL BE PRAYING FOR THE FAMILY...... AND WE KNOW HE IS IN GODS HANDS AND NOW AT PEACE... AND WILL BE SNOWBOARDING FOREVER.... NOW 
