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.

THE PLOYS OF THE DEVIL

the soul does get
eaten away by
the coals of the devil
if you let that
friendly fiend so
much as suck the straw
at your door

be wary of the pornographic
hymns

be apprehensive of the condompleasures
of the grave’s bed of flesh

for the devil is playing poker
with the world
poking her harbours
stroking her jungles with
the oats of the carnal
Tyger