Rosa Koire has died. This is a tremendous loss to our world of blinders and ignorance because hers was a rare mind and spirit that could see and explain the biggest and darkest of pictures and  persevere, her sweet nature intact.

I got to know Rosa too little and too late. We exchanged books, my Red Thread for her simply must-read Green Mask. We admired each other's work and even talked pie in the sky about meeting one day in a garden. Early last month, she told me she was very ill.

But still she tweeted her all-seeing SOS signals to anyone lucky enough to have tuned in to her.

And then on May 22, she posted the following on her Twitter account:

Please pray for me, my friends.  

Even through this hard fight we’re in, this struggle to direct our lives in a natural dignified human way, we need to keep our love glowing.

Thank you for caring. I’ll feel your prayers.  

I didn't hear from Rosa again until what turned out to be the day before she died when she wrote me the kindest heartbreaker of a note. It began: "Diana my dear friend I wish we had had more time to get to know each other it looks like I’m gonna die soon unfortunately so I wanted to say goodbye to you ..." 

But I don't want to say goodbye to you.

RIP, Rosa Koire.