Brenden Foster, Rest In Peace 1997-2008

I am miserable as I write this. I do not do a lot of posting anymore because of many reasons. But I am compelled to spell out my feelings tonight after learning that the young boy, Brenden Foster, from the town where I served as a police officer for a number of years, passed away on Friday. If you had been following the story about this incredible human being you will feel the loss as I do. I never met him in person, but I wish I had. If you have no idea who I am talking about, just simply google his name. This 11 year old boy was perhaps one of the bravest souls I have ever seen. Pure of heart and soul. In the final days of his life he made a wish, To feed the hungry. Unable to do so himself, those who surrounded him made his wish come true. Thousand have began to feed the hungry and homeless in the name of Brenden Foster. He had one other wish. That he could help save the bees which for unknown reasons are on decline. Packages of wild flower seeds will be handed out at his funeral in an effort to help the cause. What a great kid he was and a shining example he will always be.
I wrote the poem below, “Undaunted” for no apparent reason. I somehow feel now that it is a connection to Brenden and his undaunted spirit. Rest in peace little man!

Randy J Cole

Undaunted

Tundra grass gone to seed, drifting in the wind like a long lost lover,
roots buried deep in the arctic soil, holds them steadfast, no need for cover.

They hold on tight to the soil, even as the cold snaps to 60 below,
wind bends them to the breaking point, frozen and covered in snow.

Spring comes in June; the seeds that stayed dormant will spread,
creation of a green homeland, for the feathered ones that nature has led.

What lessons can we find in the tundra grass that grows in a hostile land unwanted,
from this simple plant that overcomes the harsh, and continues life, undaunted.

Words and Images by Randy J. Cole
Photo location: Sand dunes near arctic ocean, Prudhoe Bay Oil Field