Drum Major Instinct - Trotman Riddim

To one of the best brothers. EVER.

So,

 I sit here filled with disbelief

I want to cry

But then that would mean consent

Agreement that you’re gone

I remember the day I first saw you

You were all decked out in that Drumline uniform

Orientation 2007 : 8^th session

Something about you stood out

I knew I had to get to know you

A handsome young man

Tall and proud

A man who grew to develop his own Drum Major Instinct     

From the blessings God gave you

Fast forward to our first summer here at BU,

That’s when we really connected

Found common ground

It was a zing-zap-ba-dush-dush-dush kind of ting

Over your mom’s home cooking

To music of all kinds

Whining and dancing the days away

We would chit chat about all things

From Barbados to Ghana and beyond

To naming your children Ashanti day names

And you taking me to Carnival

Our almost daily snack of Honey Buns

You with Grape Soda and Me, A Nantucket Nectar

The days of ‘Annie’

Jamming to Amy Winehouse and Alicia Keys

Drumming to Reckless Love and I Need You

Oh how I need you to come back

Right Now and take this pain away

They’re falling now.

Clouding up my vision

Wetting everything around me

These tears won’t stop

I need to get dehydrated soon

Or else I may not stop

We vibed to each other’s drum beat

Our souls were in phase

It was that connection we just spoke of two weekends ago

You began to call me Kwakyi

And I called you Trotman

You had my back

And I had yours

We made plans for our future

Broski and Sis

Boy were the grand!

If there was someone I could turn to at any hour

It was you

I was assured of my hug

And my ‘Everything good? Or How’re you doing sis?’

Where am I going to get my hugs from broski?

Sophomore year, Physics After Hours in your suite

You insisted and walked me back to Warren from 1019

Round 4 AM ‘cause I was too broke to cab it

And BU shuttle had shut down for the night

(Those were the days before cabs in BOS took swipes)

Then I knew

You were definitely heaven sent, an angel

A special one from God to me

I treasured you  

You treasured me

We treasured we

Our kinship was meant to be

If there was anyone who I could count on to sacrifice for me

It was you

You selflessly played that drum beat for others

To make them laugh

Cheer them up

Soothe their pains

Cause them to smile

Allay their fears

Send them on their way

Encourage them to achieve their dreams

Start up their own drum beat

You never tired of giving

Loving, Caring, Helping

You always stood for a worthy cause

I ask myself this sad and painful question

Why am I already writing another long epic sad piece

To say goodbye to another brother?

When you were one of the few I turned to beginning of the year

To help me deal with that loss.

And to think I last saw you on that other brother’s birthday.

C’mon Son!

I never expected this

C’mon Son

Who wants to deal with this

C’mon Son

Come back to us

We would yell and sing

From the highest of all peaks

If our words and prayers

Could bring you back to us

Death be not proud as you think you ought

Every moment spent with you

Golden. Priceless.

There are no words to describe all the memories

My mind is replaying

The good, the bad

Happy and Sad

I remember that Bajan flag buckle and belt you had

Your smile

That shirt: BU Student with a NY Swagger

Your waves, those Dolce & Gabbana shades

Those headphones, those bowties

And all I can hear are your words of hope and positivity

Even when we were disappointed or angered at one or a million things

From the BU Shuttle to GPAs

The many chunes you sang

Or listening to you put mixes together

Your laugh resounds in my ear as we laughed to tears

Killing brain cells watching Foolishness on you tube,

The many conversations about our goals, dreams

To random everyday things

During the long days and sleepless nights

In the HTC or Photonics

Attending 100 Black Men Who Care About BU Meetings

You were and will remain a visionary

You will still be the truest friend many had or wish they had

You remain a lamp and beacon, showing others the way

If friendships and realness could be measured

Trotman should be the unit

Because you truly gave your all

And we are truly thankful

To think that I was coming back home this weekend

To a home that welcomed and loved me because you did

I’m smiling now, even with the tears

Because you wouldn’t want us to be sad

I hear you, “Kwakyi. No Stop that.”

Because I know the storm is over now

There’s no more pain for you to bear

I hope to be as true and good of a friend as you

To serve my Lord as dedicated and faithful as you

I hope to be a bit of an inspiration as you were to many

Your love and energy transcended all boundaries

Your drum beat engaged the souls of all walks of life
And will forever beat on through us all.

Yes, we can say you were a drum major for hope

Yes, we can say you were a drum major for love

Yes, we can say you were a drum major for peace

Yes, we can say you were a drum major for change

You helped somebody pass along

You cheered people with word and song

You showed them when they were traveling wrong

Kyle Anthony Trotman, you did not live in vain.

God keep you safely in perfect peace broski.

Till we meet again Trotman,

Love Always, Kwakyi.

The year isn't over yet and I'm mourning the loss of another brother. It feels like someone used a blunt knife to hack away a part of my innermost soul

I'm all cried out yet the tears keep falling

I'm trying to stay strong for you Trotman

In days following I'll type up memories. Another book is coming your way

Please pray for the Trotman family and us all to deal with this blow. It really seems right now to be more than we can bear.

Memories ooh memories

To think that on the 17th, when I last saw you. You told this girl we both just officially met and introduced ourselves to since we'd seen her around but never really met that we, you and I had this connection. You started talking about how I'm supposed to rip off your army dog tag we got made at the NUL Conference this summer. I guess you were trying to subtly warn me, to get ready. Of course I missed all that. Who would think such a bright future would end so soon? When we made them this summer and you told me to do this hero movie epic stuff I was like we have many years ahead of us broski and told you to do the same if God called me home before you.

God help us all

True, Real friends are hard to come by but God sent you as my angel and I am forever grateful

Trotman,

Love you broski

Always will.

Love, Kwakyi