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.

i
oh for the summer
piece of rowboat
peace chipping the
wooden sun

ii
oh for the tiny
zinnia of passion
to nourish the
startled pain
of my wilderness
paranoia

iii
oh for the wintry
sea to kiss my
shore of shadowed
shoals embracing
the tired husk
of commerce

iv
oh for the ribs
of peace to wet
my karoo with the
silver drought of
succulent apples