(the judges on Strictly)

Photo by Alin Buda.

I sometimes think about my friend, who had all the bright humour and dark wit with none to spare; he'd poke fun at his own complicated and duplicitous body and be sure to keep everyone around him laughing, sparing us from the cold injections of reality he'd be facing on a daily basis, just behind his cheery front door. He'd joke about not being able to make an appointment with the GP - 'it's fine, it's not like I'm dying or anything'. He'd critique the judges' critiques and boo their scores from the sofa on an autumnal Saturday night, surrounded by bowls of crisps and friends who hung on his every word. He'd build vast Lego constructions with his son on the kitchen table, taking it far more seriously than any child ever could. 

I sometimes think about the time his mask slipped, just a little. When he posted in the charity support group asking 'does anyone else not dream any more?' 

Thank you for reading.

G. x