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.

LOVE DEADLINE

Her lips are to be kissed
at eleven hundred hours.
Her body is to be squeezed
until her lymph rushes
down her thighs. Upon her
breasts are to shine the
twin flicker of dolphins
at play in the swimming pool
of the moon. No one is to
sample her breathperfume.
Her legs are to be splayed
like reeds upon which crocodiles
may crawl. Her heart is to be
pierced by the silver needle
of doubt before alarm clocks
screech and schools

gong the eclipse of the stars.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply