Battalions of books br stood to dusty attention br on their rough sawn shelves br of mission brown. br br Piles of papers br from eager undergraduates br teetered in unsteady piles br all over the house. br br Meters of CDs br wallpapered your study br awaiting your daily dose br of Beethoven or Brahms. br br Your behavior was eccentric, br your language academic, br your brilliance knew no boundaries, br your kindness overwhelmed. br br Romantic and incorrigible, br you were Irish to the bone. br A mix of Marx and Milligan, br your lunacy touched my soul. br br You died too young, my love - br cancer doesn’t discriminate. br The children carry your genes, br rather gracefully, it seems to me.