21 August 2026

By Don Owen Costello

Herman Tufte leads
The motorcade away from
Olaf’s church service
Beside him in his
Tractor’s cab a full likeness
Of his dear Pappa
After them come hearse
Then Olaf’s wife and daughter
Parents and sister
And those also dear
Closely-spaced we crawl along
Half a mile beneath
Hundreds of oar blades
Precisely angled by as
Many rowers from
All of Norway’s clubs
A canopy to ease pain
And devastation
Over losing this
Fine man who gave his all to
Each and every one
As we pass under
The arches through dampened eyes
I study faces
Of young and old who
Hold their oars proud and steady
To honor Olaf
His legacy far
Greater than championships
In how he still brings
Together good folks
Of all types such as those who
Line the Nykirke
Cemetery road
Hands on hearts with devotion
And deep-down respect
Trailing the Tuftes
Sharing their sadness and grief
Privately we join
Olaf’s last trip past
Where he grew and farmed and rowed
His days on this earth
Stories of hard work
A homegrown steward of fields
And medals of gold
Left behind for the
Next generations’ challenge
To follow his way
At the Horten Church
Majestic cathedral built
Long before World Wars
Were family and friends
And music and readings by
Famous writers and
Rowing royalty
A real Princess and hundreds
Viewed on TV a
Sad nation cries its
Thanks for managing to be
One of us even
While soaring above
You rose and you roared Olaf
You showed us rowing
In its finest form
Better yet you did so with
A good-natured smile
Reminding us that
Life’s importance is served best
With humor and joy

© 2026 Don Owen Costello