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.

My love for her

MY LOVE FOR HER

the sky is indeed
lovely today, and
the heart thrills
to the beat of the
powdered drums; the
world seems gay, less
resolute than a
puppetshow to feed
to the worms that
fester in the rot
of love; 1 see your
image everywhere; in
shop windows and in
trams; and i long to
drown in the heavy
nectar of your embraces
knowing fully that the
oblivion of bees Is
no nearer the cemetery
than your delicate throat

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