Roy Joseph Cotton – September 11, '53 – March 10, '85

Roy commenced writing poetry during his latter school years. He read prolifically and was passionate about music and was a devote to Bob Dylan. He wrote many plays or "Musical Paintings" as he called them, and was also busy with two works "Multimythicum" and "Girlpools, Whirpools, and other gusts of Twirling Hair". He wrote from the security of a warm, close family in a comfortable Cape Town (South Africa) suburb. Yet most of his huge output of poems reflect a consuming angst. It was an angst which drove him to search for peace throughout books, music, writing, and religion, and it led to ultimate despair. His highly idiosyncratic way with language and the intense pressure of his emotional and spiritual concerns make his poetry compelling and disturbing reading. His untimely death at age of 31 cut short his promising career as a poet.

DISCOURSE BETWEEN THE PRICKLY PEAR AND THE QUINCE

DISCOURSE BETWEEN THE PRICKLY
PEAR AND THE QUINCE.

‘being alive is no joke’
said the quince to the
prickly pear. ‘if you like
dust so much as an eel; why
don’t you snore in the depths
if you dare.’ ‘i like my
mincemeat buttoned if you
really feel you have to
know. Knowledge leads the
Tree to Science not the
Land of Apple-in-snow.’

Leave a Reply Cancel reply