On July 21st, almost three weeks after we celebrated his birthday, I lost my big brother, Highland Ralph "Dobby" Dobson to COVID-19. Dobby was a celebrated Jamaican singer, but he also embraced other roles, such as proof-reader, real estate agent, salesman, and brand manager.
Dobby loved singing and acting, ever since he was in primary school. He managed to land the leading role alongside famous Jamaican actress Madge Sinclair, when they both starred in Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, put on by Central Branch Primary. Dobby also tried his hand at writing and self-published a novel, The Misadventures of Saucy and Her Mama. He had left a glowing review of my fledgling first poetry book on Goodreads, cheering me on, and I did the same for his novel. I miss our literary discussions. I am sharing below some of the online obituaries and tributes which will give more details on who my amazing brother was:
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/31/obituaries/dobby-dobson-dead-coronavirus.html
https://thetropixs.com/jamaican-singer-dobby-dobson-dies-at-78-from-covid-19/
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/entertainment/20200819/funeral-service-dobby-dobson-saturday
2020 has been one of the weirdest years we have had. To all those who have lost loved ones to this scourge, I wish you healing, grace and, and peace. Below is a poem I wrote in tribute to Dobby, called New Realms. I hope it brings you comfort as you cherish the memories of your loved ones.
New Realms
My memories of you are kept in that deep heart space
protected and watered every now and then
by sad or joyous tears. When you couldn’t find them,
and had forgotten some of your big brother jokes out of the
long ago,
I reminded you of the Edgewater one when you
chased away a prospective suitor who had interrupted my
homework.
When miles stood between us, your humor
made the distance easier to bear.
With grace, you tolerated my song requests.
When life storms did their destructive worse,
you soldiered on bravely. I watched you - battle after
battle.
Fortis Cadere Cedere Non Potest!
Though you fell, you never yielded really.
That evening, your soul soared to new realms
to sit near peaceful streams and hear wonderful sounds
to sing new songs with Ma Belle, Mama, and the rest of your
choir
to interrogate angels and saints
to have sweet, sweet dreams
and rest at last in the arms of your Savior.
4 comments:
So sorry to hear of your loss, Yasmin. Your depiction of your brother and his place in your heart is very touching. I noticed also your posts on BVI Islander Richard Georges' work and achievements. Are you familiar with his excellent online magazine "MOKO: Caribbean Arts and Letters" (http://mokomagazine.org), of which he is a founding co-editor. Well worth a look.
All the best,
Joe O'Neill
Reston VA / Long Bay Tortola, BVI
Hi Joe,
Thank you. I appreciate your kind words. Yes, Dobby was a special big brother. Thanks also for your comment regarding Richard Georges. No, I am not familiar with his online magazine, MOKO. Thanks for sharing that with me. I am going to take a look and add it to my list of "Sites I Like" on my blog.
Take care.
Yasmin
You are welcome. Glad you liked the post.
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