Sunday, April 1, 2007
Naty's poem for Jonathan
O - one and only beloved son
N - named Jonathan from far and
A - away, in a land called Nigeria
T - The brief moments together at RYLA India brought us much
H- happiness and profound joy
A -as if we have known each other for a long time and
N -now that we have reunited, we shared a special bond of spiritual friendship
T - Tragedy struck and sadness welling from our hearts, tears flowing from our eyes
I - In deep shock, we all anguised and couldn't believe that
N - now you have left us
A - and terribly missing all the love and care you have shown
T - to each of us whose lives you have touched and inspired
Bala's Poems
From Toothless Smile to Bandaged knee.....................
The Days seem to Fly......................................
We shared those DAYS of CARE FREE YOUTH....................
We knew EACH OTHER's WAYS..................................
I want to SHARE a Heart Felt TRUTH..........................
I MISS U TO THIS DAY !!!
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Oh Tinat .........................................
When the Dark Clouds roll in
And TEARDROP fall like RAIN...
We try everything WE know of
To STOP this Awful Pain of your Departure....
It seem like a Joke.
That indeed you are Gone!
You gives EVERYTHING to Us
And got NOTHING for your PAIN
Alas!!
You has known EVERY SORROW
That FALLS upon Us
While SEEKING for a WAY out for US........
God bless you where ever you ROAM ...........
And give you PEACE till HE calls you back HOME....
Friday, March 23, 2007
Members of SDD yahoogroups have sent their condolences for Jonathan’s untimely death
I am shocked to hear about jonathan. And i will pray that his vision and enthusiasm is continued amongst all of us.It is one way to pay our respect to his soul. We must do what we must, now, and not leave for tomorrow what we can do today. We will miss him.
Ruma Roka
Noida ( near New Delhi, India ) March 16, 2007
Srinivas ( Deaf Teacher from Bangalore, India ),
March 16, 2007
I was extremely sad to read the news about the death of Jonathan. I still cannot believe this as he still appears to be infront of my eyes.
Thanking you.
With Regards
Vikas.B.Vinchhi &
I am taken aback to learn the demise of Jonathan. I express my heartfelt condolence on his sudden death. It makes me nostalgic, to remember the pleasant time we had when we met IRYLA event in India. His dressing like an Indian touched my heart profoundly. Words are less to describe how bad I feel losing Jonathan. I pray for peace of his soul. God bless thy spirit amen.
Regards.
Rajesh Ketkar
( Vadodara, India ) 14th March
We felt shocked about Jonathan..we are feeling very sad for him..we remember Jonathan spent time with Samir,Chandramouli,Asha,Deepak,Anantadev and me(vVnky) at national college for shopping in last nov 2006, we had gud time with Jonathan,Lucy and Antonia very nice.
Regards
Vinky and Samir Munshi
( Bangalore, India )
Thursday, March 22, 2007
Poetic thoughts and songs of the season for Jonathan
REVOLUTIONIST OF THE DEAF NIGERIA COMMUNITY.
THE GOOD ONES ARE GOING INTO EXTINCTION
Whither the gold fish so rare to catch
Whither the tall iroko tree standing majestically
Above other trees in the forest?
Whither our great revolutionist - Jonathan Tinat
Why are the good ones rarely last
When the bad and ugly ones bestrode the land
Like a colossus?
Refrain: The good ones rarely last a lifetime
Their stars appeared and shone briefly
And, suddenly extinct from the
firmament
Plunging mankind into darkness
Until another bright star cometh
To uplift mankind again.
Whither the great Dinosaur - that ancient animal
Whither the great whale - that king of ocean
Terror of the acquatic landscape?
Whither our great Generallismo and Marshal of our
fleet?
Who will now lead our foot-soldiers into battle
Why are the Master Strategists an endanger species?
Refrain: The good ones ............
Whither the Lion, King of animals and forest
Whither the great polar bear of the cold
icy habitat, hunter of fishes?
Whither our own great hunter, teacher and orator
Is it not true that what we loves to do
With passions often kill us in the end?
Our hunter, teacher and orator has gone not return
home.
Refrain: The good ones ...........
Whither the great python - that king of snakes
Whither the great dragon- of the family of the
Carnivorous reptiles, which also spits fire!
Here in the deaf Naija community, an icon, a bright star
A great idealist and charismatic leader has just departed
Adieu! Jonathan Tinat, we shall missed you greatly.
Refrain: The good ones rarely ...........
DEMAGOGUE PLANTS.
As I walk beside a riverbed
A riverbed full of lovely plants
Plants well - nurtured and irrigated
With the water from the river
All tenderly lovely plants.
Some of the plants
Long grown into mighty trees
Over the years
I look and behold new fresh and young
plants and trees some in the nursery
Then, I look and saw their name-tags
Each of the lovely plants can be identified
I was amazed to read the names
Of leaders and demagogues world over.
I found the names of Nkrumaism, Awoism, Aminu Kanoism,
Nehruism, Zikism, Maoism, Marxism, Stallinism,
Cabraism, Negritudism, Malcom Xism, Marthin
Lutherism, and so forth
All very beautiful pedagogical names both great and
small.
Then far in a corner I found a young bud
Just sprouted a few days old
I look to find it's name-tag
I was surprised to read the name- TINATISM.
Adieu! Jonathan Tinat, your name has been etched
In evergreen memory in our hearts who loves you.
Bye!
ADEWALE ADEYANJU
A Eulogy for Jonathan from Bunmi
Director of the Office of International Programs and Services
Gallaudet University
Bunmi Aina, Advisory Committee Member, received a Honors degree in Law from the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria in 1990, and completed his legal education at the Nigerian Law School the following year. After 3 years legal work including time as a senior editor with the Nigerian Weekly Law Reports, he entered the Social Work program at Gallaudet University in the Fall of 1994, and graduated with an MSW in 1996. He was an ESL instructor at ELI between 1995 and 1999 when he left for SouthWest Collegiate Institute for the Deaf (SWCID) of Howard College in Big Spring Texas where he was the founding Director of the Diagnostic Center. In June 2003, Bunmi moved from this position to Gallaudet University as Director of the Office of International Programs and Services (OIPS)
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Lucy laments over the loss of a dearest Jonathan
Monday, March 19, 2007
Anantadev Remembering Jonathan
How did I meet him for 1st time? In the 2nd week of November 2006 at IRYLA event, Ichalakaranji Rotarian Dr.Dilip Deshmukh, who had arranged a double hotel room for me to stay, asked me whether a deaf male delegate from Nigeria who would come soon could share the same room with me. I nodded. Jonathan, Lucy and Antonia introduced themselves to many delegates including myself. At the very first meeting I and Jonathan became good acquaintances.