It is with great sadness that we have learnt of the passing, yesterday Saturday 11 December 2010, of Michael Copley, aka Jinx. He was our friend and fellow rugby blogger.

Michael was our poet and musician and dare I say old Jinx did not have a bad thing to say about anybody. A more pleasant and spiritual fellow you wont find.

The earth is poorer without Jinx…

(For purposes of allowing unhindered tributes to our late friend, Jinx, and in the spirit which Jinx lived, the Rugby-Talk blog has been opened for EVERYBODY to comment!

If you are a registered Rugby-Talk blogger, Login like normal and comment.

If you’re not a registered Rugby-Talker, kindly state your Nickname (if from another Blog) / your Name and an E-Mail Address…. and leave a comment.)

Funeral Details:

Here’s a bit of information I have gathered:

Michael Copley:

Michael Copley was a singer/songwriter, poet, actor and voice over artist who lived in Camps Bay, Cape Town, South Africa.

Michael’s music came from a diverse mix of influences ranging from blues, rock, folk, country, Celtic, goema, mbaqanga, boeremusiek, jazz, soul and many other strands and feelings.

Michael was a storyteller of note and his writing and singing covered his journey. His music feels the soul of his South Africa in its many colours and layers.

His voice was like a blend of an acacia, a baobab, a yellowwood and an oak tree. There is wood down there in abundance.

He felt the Earth nuances beneath his feet and felt its hard history and the possibilities for transformation and new pathways to healing, understanding and redemption. He successfully attempted to re-represent and channel a slice of the South African soul.

The rivers, mountains, the weather, the wild animals, the people, the beauty and the country’s tough challenges are fused into these songs. Whether it’s from the cities to the towns, from the Karoo to the Bushveld, from coast to coast…it’s all going straight to the heart.

Training/Education
1980 BA (UCT) Social Anthropology, Industrial Sociology and Comparative Government & Law

Theatre Experience
EDGE OF THE WHITE WORLD
SONGS AND TALES OF AFRICA
CARVINGS OF CONFLICT
KING LEAR

Television
THE HISTORY OF AMERICA/Merchant – for the History Channel with Film Africa
INTERROGATION ROOM III/ Prof Zach Black – Interrogation Room Productions
CHARLIE JADE/Krog – Afrika Prod
SCOOP SCOOMBIE/Mr Wolvaart – Penguin Films
MADAM AND EVE/Prof. – Penguin Films
ARENDE 2 – SABC
MORENGA – Germany Winning ; People’s Justice; Brent House ; Orpen House; Inspector Carr Investigates; Baragwanath; Sinbad;

Film Experience
LUCK ON TOP OF THE WORLD /Painter – Two Oceans Productions
WOMAN IN RED – Two Oceans Productions
ENDLESS HORISON/Judge – Two Oceans Productions
THE PIANO PLAYER/German Customer – Film Afrika Worldwide (USA)
GLOBAL EFFECT/Sub Captain – Buckle Productions
SANDMOTHEr/Voice – Sandmother Prod
DISSONANCES/Benson – Made in Afrika Films
GROOMSMEN/Dr Deveroux – Do Productions
BUSH DECISION / Dr Frank Muller – Two Oceans Prod
DIAMOND HUNTERS /Dr Brickhill – Film Afrika Worldwide (USA)
LAST HOLIDAY/Consulate Official – Two Oceans Productions)
RENT A BABY/ Policeman – The Imaginarium
MAPANTSULA; DESERT ROSE – German Feature (TOP)

Commercials
Ford Courier; Cirio Milk; Koffiehuis (SA); Sunshine D (SA) ;Mrs Balls Chutney (SA)
Panasonic (Canada); Visa (Canada); Sprint Internet Provider (USA);Cetelem (France)
Molehill Cake (Germany); Corny Muesli (Germany);Cochonou Salami (France) ; Dreher Beer (Italy); EB Beer (Poland) and many more

Voice Experience
Numerous voice-overs for radio and television
  

… but Michael was much more than that…

Here’s a Rugby Song from Michael.. Go Bokke Go

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… and of course his poetry…

CD: Messages from trees ( Michael Copley ) Spiritual poems, prayers and meditations inspired by trees.

 1. Message from trees
 2. Know thyself
 3. Morning prayer
 4. The old man said
 5. Love circle prayer
 6. An acorn said
 7. Thank you
 8. Gift from the moon
 9. Coming back and flowing out
10. Stranger than fiction
11. Realizations
12. The tree queen
13. Affirmation *
14. A prayer for Africa
15. One love

CD: Meditations from Africa ( Michael Copley & Guy Gibbon ) Poems prayers and meditations with atmospheric animal and bird sounds of the African bush.

 1. A prayer for Africa
 2. Giving the gift
 3. The people
 4. Inner child meditation
 5. Kudu-man
 6. Kalahari moon meditation
 7. Children of the light
 8. Four trees meditation
 9. Gratitude prayer
10. Bushveld meditation
11. Thunderstorm

We remember him for the following too…

Soul Petrol

In your face, eye to eye
Draw the line… with self-respect
That lone eagle in the sky
Is saying things, straight up, direct

There’s no place to hide
Got to face it, do your best
Stand true reach deep inside
The flame encourages your quest

Wheels turning
Day and night love patrol
Believing and loving
Burning…your soul petrol

Listen there’s no time to waste
No frills… this is it
Come on now… cut to the chase
Own the fire in your spirit

Wheels turning
Day and night love patrol
Believing and loving
Burning…your soul petrol
Feel…your soul petrol Sweat on the streets

Come into the moment
Lightning bolts of heat
Show the commitment

Wild and true… it’s a must
Be honest… down the line
Hang in there… trust your gut
Take the risk…be your own sunshine

Life moving
Day and night love patrol
Believing and loving
Burning…your soul petrol
Feel…your soul petrol
Heart to heart…with soul petrol

…. and here are a few more inspired poems…

Love Is Like A Window

From the well of secret graces
You can know and really see
The finer things in life
That shimmer in strands of creativity 

With heaven silver traces
That sketch automatically
Connecting the dots
Between you and me

Love is like a window into places
That feels the unknown mystery
Where silence takes you by the hand
And sets you free…

Answering My Guardian Angel

It was in the wreckage of my life
where I found my purpose,
It was in the cracks of my breakdown
where I found my breakthrough,
It was in my burning anger where I found
my first steps to learn self-forgiveness,
It was in my broken dreams
where I learned the gain in loss,
It was in those trials
that I learned failure is only feedback,
It was in those setbacks
where I chose to be successful,
It was in sorrows thorns
where I found  the keys to perseverance and wisdom,
It was from the blade of betrayal
that I learned to take responsibility,
It was in the ugliness of life
where I found my beauty,
It was through searing temptation
where I found my value system and principles,
It was through loving others unconditionally
that I found my humanness,
It was through knowing I’m loved no matter what,
that I found my self-belief,
It was in the agony of waiting
where I learned patience,
It was in the hardest storms
where I found my strength and resources,
It was through sharing
that I found my brothers and sisters,
It was through honouring nature
where I learned self-respect,
It was from giving up the need to be liked
that I found my courage,
It was through taking a step back
where I learned to go forward,
It was through confronting my shadows
where I found my sunshine,
It was through trusting myself
where I found my soul-smile,
It was through laughing at myself
where I found my freedom,
It was in making a decision
that I turned it around,
It was through the Great Spirit
where I learned to say, thank you.

Pen

I fill my pen
With blood ink from my heart
And put words on paper.

I hope that in the process
Of new roads to thoughts and feelings
I can make sense of it later.

By facing these words again
That mirrors my entire journey,
I can let go by understanding deeper.

I am given experiences that shake my soul
To cry and sing, to long for and touch,
To make my awareness of life greater.

For without this tool, this friend, my pen,
I couldn’t calm the storms
And be my own trusted healer.

I Am / You Are

I am the dream,
You are the beat,
I am the journey,
You are the streets,
I am the seeker,
You are my treasure,
I am a bird,
You are my feathers,
I am a student,
You are the light and dark,
I am the flood,
You are the Ark,
I am the wind,
You are my message,
I am love,
You are the blessing,
I am my rebirth,
You are my witness,
I am my freedom,
You are my joy,
I am my friend,
You are my family,
I am the music,
You are my song

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