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.

CITIZEN

no one suspects me
i
wear a white coat
don’t smoke
know cancer kills
no one looks me skew in the eye
i
drink canned drinks
smile when camera goes click
pretend
no one brings me buckets of fear
i
giggle when walls aren’t looking
say ‘good morning’ so all can hear
offer streetsweeper a cent
no one sends me deathcommands anymore
i
have slaughtered
all my dreams
just as the pamphlets commanded
i
am
in official hiding
dockets and forms protect me

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